Gravity
by AnomalyA11
Summary: They're older. New Problems. New Dynamics. New enemies. New loves. Resurrections and mutations. Stuffs. Lots of Stuffs.
1. Chapter 1

The first time Hope saw her, she was at the park on the main drag of Mystic Falls. She stood behind a wooden both with Lizzie Saltzman, handing out flyers and pamphlets for their new bar. It was a decoy. Not the bar, but the booth. The business partners had become aware of a new group of vampires that had moved into town. They were attacking innocent people, and they were something no one had ever seen. Hope had had a brief run in with one of them and was left dumbfounded. The man was a vampire alright, but he was as strong and as fast as a hybrid, and his scent was different. His eyes had shone blood red and his behaviors were far more animalistic than the tribrid had ever seen. It seemed like great timing to advertise her and Lizzie's new bar for their grand opening, attempting to lure some of the vampires in.

Hope stood at the side of the wooden booth, leaning on it as she scanned the crowd. Mystic Falls had grown since she was a child. Within the almost two decades she had known the town, it had boomed. The city limits had grown along with housing and stores. People from all over began moving to the up and coming town, taken in by it's long history, ancient 'myths' and somewhat rustic charm. It had made Hope's life a living hell half of the time. More people to keep secrets from. More risk of her kind being exposed. More work with Dr Saltzman and training the young witches, werewolves and vampires. But it also made her life more enjoyable some days. New faces and new friends. New experiences and cultures. It was refreshing. Sure, Hope had traveled and learned a thing or two, but she always came back. It made her daily life a tad more exciting. It also brought in young, hot men and women that she could enjoy. That was always a plus for the young Mikaelson.

As the red head scanned the crowd, her eyes drifted to the old dinner. What appeared to be a young woman sat at an umbrella covered table. The woman typed away on her laptop, her shaggy, brown hair falling in her face. Her eyes danced across the computer screen furiously as she puffed on a vape. That made Hope chuckle because she knew the woman was a Hybrid. The red head could smell the woman's scent, the wind carrying it to her nostrils in heaping doses. The brunette wore a cut off sleeveless shirt that revealed the upper sides of her stomach, showing tattoos that connected up her shoulders and down her arms. The woman was toned, muscular in certain areas. But her face was delicate. Bright, hazel eyes and plump pink lips. Cheekbones and dimples. A delicate, slender neck. Hope couldn't tear her eyes away.

"Earth to Hope!" Lizzie snapped her fingers in front of her friend's face, gaining a startled reaction. "We're supposed to be out here on a mission and you're stalking a random woman."

"I'm not stalking," the red head rolled her eyes but kept them locked on the brunette across the street.

"You're still staring," the blonde deadpanned.

"She's a person of interest," the Mikaelson muttered.

"Of your vagina's interest," Lizzie shot back with a smug smile, pleased with herself.

"She's a hybrid!" Hope raised her voice, finally turning to look her friend in the eyes. "Person. Of. Interest."

"Hey, I don't blame you," the blonde waved her hands, glancing at the stranger. "If I was into women, I'd fuck her. She's hot."

"Wow."

"I might try and fuck her now, to be honest."

"You know she can probably hear us, right?"

Lizzie shrugged her shoulders. "Eh. Maybe you should go talk to her then instead of being creepy."

"Please, come talk to me," Hope heard the stranger say. She gasped and looked upon the brunette once more. The woman was smirking at her, hazel eyes boring into her blue ones.

"She definitely hears us," the red head let her friend know, receiving a smirk from the blonde.

"Go on then," Lizzie shooed her friend away.

The young Mikaelson took a deep breath before she strode toward the brunette. With each slow, determined step she took, she measured the woman up, taking everything in. When Hope made it to the table, the brunette looked up, smiling warmly. The woman puffed on her vape and signaled for the red head to join her. Hope quirked and eyebrow before taking a seat, trying not to enjoy the woman's natural charm that seemed to ooze off her.

"I'm Jack," the brunette offered her hand.

Hope cocked her eyebrow at the name. "That's an odd name for a woman."

"Who says I'm a woman?" Jack replied with a serious expression.

"Your feminine features and curvaceous body," the red head replied, confidence laced in her voice.

"That's fair," Jack laughed, a slight blush painting her cheeks. "My father loved Jack Daniels," she shrugged.

"Ah." There was an uncomfortable silence that followed. Well, uncomfortable for Hope. The brunette's eyes stared mischievously into the young Mikaelson's orbs, her gaze never faltering. Determination and intrigue were flooding off the woman's body. Hope shifted in her seat. The heated stare made her feel uneasy, but she couldn't look away. She felt her heart speed up and her stomach drop in a way that made her feel giddy and wanting. The red head swallowed and cleared her throat. "What brings you to our lovely town, Jack?" Jack. It felt good rolling off Hope's tongue.

"I'm looking for the same people you are." The brunette's hazel eyes were still glued to blue ones.

The red head was struggling to speak. There was a pull. Jack had her own force of gravity, and Hope was being pulled into the brunette's orbit. "What do you know about them?"

"Have you heard of The Initiative?" the woman's face became serious.

"No."

"On paper, they're a genetics company. They research things like extending life, ridding the human population of disease, disorders, all that stuff. Lately, they've made a habit of picking up supernatural beings for experimentation. I have my theories on why, but I don't have a definite answer. These vampires that have shown up here have been mutated. They're not really vampires anymore, and they're not like anything else."

"That explains a lot," Hop puffed out. "I ran into one. His scent was off. Eyes fully red. Moved like a hybrid. But it was like he couldn't articulate. Not one word."

Jack turned her computer around and pushed it toward the red head, encouraging her to look. "These guys can't speak. They're all animal. There was a group before, in California, they had turned into hybrids. But they eventually died from not being able to take the mutation. And a group of werewolves before that. They were turned into super wolves. Triple the size when they turned, and they could control when they turned. They tore apart an entire town in Canada."

Hope read through the brunette's files as she was speaking. Stolen reports and pictures from The Initiative, research and experimentations, black ops missions by the government, investigations by local police; enough evidence for the red head to believe what Jack was saying. Hope froze when she saw herself. "Why am I in here?" her voice was clipped and hostile.

"You're a target," Jack claimed, sincerity in her eyes. "The only Tribrid. Daughter of an Original. The Original hybrid. You've been coming up in their emails a lot. I think they've sent these vampires here to try and capture you. Or to see what it would take to capture you."

"And how do you know all of this? Who the hell are you?" Hope was fighting to keep her rage in check. She went from contemplating taking the brunette home to wanting to rip her head off. The red head felt betrayed and she couldn't understand why. It only added fuel to her fire.

"I'm no one," Jack almost whispered. "I'm here because of you. Because you came up in their emails."

"And why the fuck are you tracking me?" Now she was shouting. It gained Lizzie's attention and the blonde started to make her way over to the two women.

Jack sighed loudly, looking away from Hope for the first time. "I knew your father. And I made him a promise."

Hope froze, her eyes went wide, and her palms became clammy. "How am I supposed to believe that?"

"You can search my memories if you want," Jack offered, her hazel orbs returning to blue ones. A moment of silence passed. "I promised him I would look out for you."

"Everything alright?" Lizzie interrupted, standing beside Hope.

"Everything's fine," the red head lied, sending a fake smile to the blonde. "We're almost done. Give me a minute?"

The Saltzman twin eyed her friend before nodding. "I'm going in to grab a milkshake. I'll be right back."

"You promised to look out for me?" Hope continued, not missing a beat. She wasn't angry anymore. Just agitated. There were no signs that the brunette was lying. In fact, Hope still had the woman's computer. She could go through it.

"Your father found me in an ally one day in New Orleans," Jack began, her voice timid. "I was twelve. I had been beaten and… and left to die. I was born a wolf, into an old Norse pack. When my father died… things got bad. Anyway, Klaus found me, smelled me bleeding out. I remember feeling like I was about to take my last breath and suddenly he was holding me, trying to sooth me. He fed me his blood and held me until I healed. He asked me what happened and after I finished speaking, his face became almost tormented. He told me he was going to give me a gift. A gift that would make sure no wolf or vampire could ever harm me again. He snapped my neck. When I woke up, I was a hybrid."

Hope didn't know how to feel. Her father had saved and then killed a child, to turn her. The red head cleared her throat. "Then what?"

"He took care of me," Jack continued, a small smile gracing her lips. "He put me in a house he owned. Had some witches cast spells so that no one could enter unless I wanted them to. I think it was around the time you were gone. Klaus told me he had a daughter but that he hadn't seen her in a while." The brunette paused. She noticed the tears glazing Hope's eyes but decided it was best not to draw attention to it. "He trained me. Taught me. Fed me. Educated me. Something else was going on in his life, something big. I still don't know what. I only say that, because one day Marcel and your mother showed up with a witch named Davina. They broke in and found me, and instantly started assuming Klaus was keeping me prisoner. I told them everything and they were speechless."

"You knew my mother?" Hope's voice was tight.

"Not really. I spoke to her a few times. She was a very kindhearted, loving woman. I think… I think I showed her Klaus had the potential to be a better father than she thought was possible. I was kinda like a surrogate child to him. I also think I reminded him of himself. When he learned about my family and my life before I met him, we bonded. I had one deep conversation with your mother. It was when she drove me to Canada."

"Why did she do that?" Hope was going to have to cry and break things later. The whirlwind of emotions in her was barely being contained.

"Klaus sent me away. He told me it was too dangerous for me to stay in New Orleans, and that your mother new some people who would love me as their own. I refused. I told him I would help him with whatever was going on. He smirked at me and told me I should have been born a Mikaelson with how stubborn I was. But then he commanded me to leave. His sire link hadn't been cut yet. I had no choice. But before I left, he asked me if I could do something for him, since I wanted to help. He asked me to keep an eye out for you. He learned how good I was with… illegal hacking." Jack laughed at herself, having no other way to say it. Hope rolled her eyes at the woman, annoyed. More annoyed with herself. In the midst of all her emotions and just meeting the brunette, she found her impossibly adorable at that moment. "So he asked me to keep an eye on you in any way I could. And that if you ever needed me, to show up. I've kinda had bolos on you for decades. Hardly anything ever comes up about supernaturals in detail on the internet. But lately, you've been a hot topic."

"SYou came looking for me," Hope concluded.

"Yup," Jack smiled brightly. "I honestly think Klaus was sure I'd never hear anything about you. I think he wanted me to feel like I had something until I found more in life. And it worked."

Hope was smiling now. "My father could be cruel but… you know him in a way I did. The loving, caring side of him. It came out in not so healthy ways but, it was there. Most people never saw it." The red head paused, staring into hazel eyes once more. "I'm actually jealous. It sounds like you got to spend more time with him then I ever did."

"I understand your feelings, Hope," Jack reached across the table and gently grabbed the red head's hand. Hope's breath hitched. "But I don't think you have anything to be jealous of. He wasn't with me every day. He had other people come around a lot more than he did. I spent more time with Marcel once he knew what was going on. He just took some time out of his life to spend with me. Time he wished he was spending with you. In some way, I think he took care of me for you. Because you made him realize things about himself that he wanted to change. And I was a practice run." Jack laughed at herself again. Hope smirked and looked at their intertwined hands.

The brunette's face went red when she realized what she had done. It was an action that had come so naturally to her, reaching for Hope's hand. She had intertwined their fingers and had been grazing Hope's skin with the pad of her thumb. Jack slowly pulled her hand away and averted her eyes, embarrassed and upset with herself.

Lizzie emerged from the restaurant and instantly noticed the awkward situation at the table. "What happened?" she blurted out as she reached Hope's side.

"Just taking in everything," the red head replied, genuinely smiling at her friend this time.

"So is this bitch a good guy? Bad guy?" the blonde played with her straw before taking a giant slurp or her drink.

"She's a…" Hope trailed off and it caused the brunette to look into her eyes once more. The red head's heart skipped a beat. "She's a new friend."

"She's gonna help us kill those ratchet things, right? Something that ugly doesn't deserve to live."

"Lizzie," the red head rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Oh come on, you know it's true."

Jack chuckled and Hope couldn't stop the smiling that spread across her lips. "She's going to come home with us. She can tell you everything she's told me, and we can call your dad and the others and work on a plan."

"She's staying with us?" Lizzie looked almost appalled.

"Is that a problem?"

"Uh, yeah. We don't know her. And she's hot. So hot I want to fuck her. What if she seduces us and then murders us in our sleep?"

"That would never happen," Jack laughed out. "I'm way too insecure to try and seduce anyone."

"You left out the murder part," Lizzie eyed the woman.

"She's not going to murder anyone," Hope sighed as she stood from her seat. "I'm going to get her home, hit her with a truth spell, and then decide if I should kill her or not."

"Wow," Jack's face held shock and amusement.

"Let's go."

Hope took Jack to pick up her belongings and then headed home. The car ride was quiet. The red head always appreciated the silence in her jeep. Windows down, roof off, hair blowing in the wind. It gave her time to think, contemplate, zone out. It reminded her of when she shifted; something she had barely gotten to do since the town had grown up around her. But Hope found herself wanting to break the silence. She wanted to know more about the brunette in her passenger seat. More about Jack's experiences with her parents and family. More about her mannerisms and reactions. She wanted to know about where the brunette grew up, where she came from, what she had been doing most of her life. It made Hope want to vomit and jump with excitement at the same time. She hadn't felt this way since Josie.

Josie Saltzman. The twin sister of her best friend. The woman who had been her best friend, captivated her heart and held it in her hand. Josie Saltzman. The woman she still dreamt about sometimes. Still occasionally missed and longed for. Josie Saltzman. The woman she once thought was the love of her life; and still sometimes contemplated if she was. The woman she had broken up with because she knew the relationship was doomed before it started, amongst other reasons. Hope was immortal, Josie wasn't. They had their issues. Josie was kind, selfless, loving, caring. She loved deeply and unconditionally. But the Saltzman twin was extremely insecure, sometimes controlling and bitter. Josie had started to try and control everything Hope did by the end of their relationship. She had even tried telling Hope who she could and couldn't be around or talk to. The red head wasn't perfect. She was stubborn. She could also be controlling. She had a temper and let it lose from time to time. She was petrified of losing people and of having her heart broken. But Josie had been borderline insane by the end. Hope found out later that the Saltzman twin had cheated on her a few times. It hurt like hell.

"You alright?" Jack asked, noticing the pained look on the red head's face and breaking her thoughts.

"I'm fine," Hope lied through gritted teeth.

"Wanna talk about it?" the brunette offered, a knowing look on her face.

"Nope." The red head's response was short. An edge in her voice.

"No one better to vent to then a stranger," Jack offered again. The brunette felt the need to try and help. The look on the Mikaelson's face bothered Jack more than she thought it should.

"You're not going to quit until I tell you, aren't you?"

"Yeah, no. I won't stop. I'm like herpes. Until you take care of it, I'll keep coming back with a vengeance."

Hope cackled and shook her head. This woman was ridiculous. "Did you really just say that?"

"I didn't say anything," Jack said seriously, concern on her face. "Are you hearing voices?"

"I can't with you," the read head rolled her eyes. She thought a few moments before speaking. "I was thinking about my ex."

"I see," the brunette pursed her lips together. "Why would you do that to yourself?"

"I have no idea," Hope huffed before glancing at the woman in her passenger seat. "It just came up in my mind."

"Yeah, the mind can be a cock sucker." The red head laughed again. "I'm serious. My mind is at least. Always bringing things up for no reason just to cause me grief. Fucking cock sucker."

"Mmmm," the young Mikaelson hummed. She bit her lip. "I left her a few years ago." Jack remained silent, patiently waiting. "She's a witch. It couldn't ever last. Not forever."

"No, not without black magic. And that's never worth the price."

"I found out she had been cheating on me a few months after I left her." That sent a pang of pain to Jack's heart. "Apparently, she had cheated on me with several people throughout our relationship. It explained a lot. Why she always got so paranoid when I was alone with anyone who was remotely attractive."

"Well she's plain stupid," Jack replied with a smirk. "You're a catch."

Hope's face went red at the compliment. Her throat went dry and she bit her lip. "How would you know?" she asked coyly.

"I'm a great judge of character," the brunette responded proudly. "You can tell a lot about a person by being a creeper and watching them."

"How are you so annoyingly funny?" The red head beamed and glared at the woman beside her.

"I don't know," Jack shrugged her shoulders. "I've always been this way. It's only gotten worse the older I get." Hope found herself rolling her eyes for the millionth time since she met the brunette. "Seriously, if she cheated, then she didn't deserve you. Obviously. But she's not the one if she did. If she had only cheated once and did everything in her power to make it right, then maybe she could have been the one. But multiple times… no way she's the one for you."

"You're talking about soulmates?"

"Duh," Jack stated, as if it was obvious. And it was. Hope didn't want to approach the subject for some reason. "You don't believe in soul mates?"

"I don't know if I do," the red head answered honestly."

"There's all different kinds of soulmates," the brunette started, excitement in her voice. "Friend soulmates. Enemy soulmates. Lover soulmates. THE love of your life soulmate. Some stay forever. Some stay for a little while. Others are fleeting moments. Anyone who challenges you to grow is a soulmate."

"I've never looked at it that way." Hope took in what the woman said. It felt right to her. It made sense. But she was still leery when it came to the idea of a soulmate. It meant there was one ultimate love of your life. One person who would make anyone else seem insignificant. One person who could destroy you. The thought didn't settle well with the young Mikaelson.

"It's just how I feel. How I see it. And I always think I'm right. But I won't try to force the idea on you… at least not all at once." Hope chuckled again. "I'll do it over time. Real slow. Point out every significant thing and circumstance. I'll make a believer out of you."

"You'll have to stick around and wait a long time," the red head fired back.

"I'm immortal. I've got plenty of time." Jack smiled warmly and Hope didn't miss it. "I've got a song for you." The brunette pulled her phone out and connected it to Bluetooth.

"If it's a sappy love song I'm going to throw you in the road."

"Oh no, it's a great break up song."

"It's been years-"

"And you're not fully over it, clearly," Jack interrupted as she scrolled through her phone. "Here we go!" she shouted in excitement before she clicked play. The brunette turned the volume all the way up. The sound of drums and guitar started and quickly blared, loud and heavy. Hope rolled her eyes but listened intently as the lyrics began.

_"Met a girl at seventeen, Thought she meant the world to me, So I gave her everything, She turned out to be a cheat"_

Jack began dramatically singing the song. Using wild hand gestures and facial expressions as she invaded Hope's personal space, singing to her. The red head glanced and did her best to fight the smile fighting its way out.

_"Said she been thinking for a long time, And she found somebody new, I've been thinking that this whole time, Well I never thought you'd stay, And that's okay, I hope he takes your filthy heart and then he throws you away some day, Before you go, There's one thing you oughta know"_

The song dropped a bit, the guitars palm muted and the singer's voice low. The brunette gently grasped Hope's shoulder, a mock expression of anger on her face as she continued to sing.

_"If you can't hang then there's the door baby, If you can't hang then there's the door baby, If you can't hang then there's the door baby, If you can't hang then there's the door"_

Jack jumped in her seat and began moving around sporadically, gaining a hysterical fit of laughter from the red head.

_"I don't wanna to take your precious time, Cause you're such a pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty face, But you turned into a pretty big waste of my time, I don't wanna take up all your time, Cause you're such a pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty face, But you turned into a pretty big waste of my time, You're the lowest type, you're the lowest"_

Jack stood up in her seat and stuck her head and arms through the roof of Hope's jeep, continuing to scream and sing, putting on a show. All in an attempt to make the read head smile, weather that was clear to Hope or not.

_"I met a girl talking away, She found a boy she knew she'd change, I changed my clothes, my hair, my face, To watch us go our separate ways, She said we've grown apart for some time, but then she found somebody new, I hope Mr Right puts up with all the bullshit that you do"_

The brunette sunk back down into her seat, smiling when she saw Hope beaming.

_"Stay the hell away, While I sit here by myself, And figure out how I got this way, Before you go, There's one thing you oughta know, If you can't hang then there's the door baby, If you can't hang then there's the door baby, If you can't hang then there's the door baby, If you can't hang then there's the door"_

Jack flung her hair back and forth as she pretended to bang drums. Shaking her head up and down before singing some more.

_"I don't wanna to take your precious time, Cause you're such a pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty face, But you turned into a pretty big waste of my time, I don't wanna take up all your time, Cause you're such a pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty face, But you turned into a pretty big waste of my time"_

She grabbed Hope's hand, using it as a pretend microphone.

_"I don't want to get things confused, She said she'd never settle for some boy she couldn't use, So now I gotta call the doctor, So he can prescribe me medication, So I can deal with all the memories of being here this way"_

Hope eventually pulled her hand away and lowered the music. Jack looked appalled. "We're here," the red head stated as she turned off the engine.

"Who taught you car etiquette?" the brunette asked as she jumped out of the jeep. "Because it's a sin to cut off a good jam when it's about to reach the hype."

"Seriously," the red head chuckled, "who taught you how to live?"

"Instinct," Jack deadpanned, stopping halfway up the porch steps.

Hope stared down at the brunette. The smile on her face slowly faded as something dangerous filled her chest. That pull. That damned pull. Gravity. She felt it so strongly. Hope told herself it was nothing, it would pass. It was physical attraction. "Come on in," she said as she turned around and opened her front door.

Jack casually made her way inside the two story, log cabin. It was homey and rustic, in the woods near Mystic Falls. It made sense to the brunette. There was privacy, no lights, quiet and serene. Plenty of room to do supernatural things like shift or cast spells or have a fight with other supernaturals. The inside was a mixture of simple and complex. That made sense to Jack as well. Lizzie seemed like a woman who loved fancy things. And Hope seemed more like her mother, just wanting to have a home. The mixture of fancy and vintage furniture and decorations mixed with the wooden floors and walls tied together almost perfectly.

"The room you'll be staying in is upstairs," Hope said, interrupting the hybrid's thoughts. The brunette nodded and followed her host up the stairs. They turned a corner and the red head opened the door, revealing a simple room with a queen size bed, a few dressers and nightstands and a desk. "My room is right there," Hop pointed down the hall to a door at the end.

"Thank you," Jack smiled warmly before stepping inside the room and placing her duffle bag down on the floor. The brunette turned and found the young Mikaelson giving her a grievous look. "Hope?"

Hope quickly cast a truth spell and pushed the brunette onto the bed. She waited for Jack to sit up and watched as the spell took effect, cascading down the woman's body like warm water. "Is everything you've told me true?" she asked.

"Yes," Jack replied calmly. "I'm kind of offended you came at me sideways."

"You would have willingly let me put a spell on you?"

"Yes."

"And you meant it when you said I could go in your head and see your memories?"

"Yes," the brunette groaned.

"What?"

"You're so distrusting."

"Can you blame me?" Hope asked candidly. "You've been watching me, and I don't know you."

"I only watched you today. And it's not like I was hiding."

"How long were you there?"

"Half the day. I was researching and looking for those vampires. You showed up. I was lucky."

"How were you planning on finding me then? If you haven't been watching me this entire time?"

"It wouldn't have been hard to find you, Hope. You're grand opening signs were all over town." Yup. Hope felt a bit stupid. "I was going to wait until you opened up your bar. Come in a few nights and look around, read you to try and figure out my approach. And then try and talk to you."

"How long have you been in town?"

"A few weeks."

"What have you been doing?"

"I already told you," Jack gritted out.

"What else?" Hope pressed, seeing the woman fighting the spell.

"I went to the Salvatore school and spoke to the Headmaster. Asked her if she knew what was going on and if she could help. I showed her everything. She had this same bullshit truth spell done to me and got everything she wanted. She even asked me personal questions, which I'm still salty about."

"Caroline has known you were here… Why didn't she say anything to me?"

"She told you about the vampires because of me. I think she didn't tell you about me because I asked her not to. I wanted to introduce myself."

"Why?"

"Because you're…" Jack paused and sighed. She had been avoiding Hope's eyes the entire time, but she stared into blue orbs before speaking. "Your father saved my life. He sired me. He has a place in my heart, and I respect him. I wanted to properly introduce myself. I was nervous. You're Klaus' daughter. And I don't mean that in a 'you're Klaus Mikaelson's super tribrid daughter' way. Klaus was like a father to me. I guess I wanted to try and make my meeting with you as perfect as possible. I loved him and it… it matters to me how you see me. It matters to me if you like me as a person. You're the only child of a man who treated me like his own; he treated me better than my own father. And I honestly didn't know how to approach you with everything and have it not blow up in my face. I was afraid. I still am."

Hope was starting to understand. Jack viewed her father the way she viewed Alaric. And she remembered how she felt when she started going to school with the Saltzman twins as she grew closer with their father; she wanted them to like her. Hope wanted their respect and approval because of the bond she was developing with Alaric. Her view of the woman in front of her changed in that moment.

"I understand," the red head whispered.

"Look, I'm not good with words when it comes to serious… things about myself," Jack ran her hand through her hair nervously. "I can't really communicate like that. Could you please just… look in my head. Find what you're looking for and then let me sleep? It's easier that way. We'll be going at this all night if I keep talking." The brunette looked dejected and defeated. Hope wanted to reach and soothe the woman. She wanted to know what happened to make the brunette crumble in this kind of situation. But it wasn't the time.

"Alright," the red head let out before sitting down in the middle of the bed, crossing her legs. She signaled Jack over and the brunette crawled toward her, mimicking her posture. Hope tenderly placed her hands onto thick, silky hair. "Ready?" Jack nodded and closed her eyes.

Flashes of the brunette's memories flooded Hope's mind. She saw her father, her mother, Marcel, even her Aunts. She witnessed her father teaching Jack how to feed, how to control herself. Saw Marcel training Jack and having fun. Saw her Aunts checking in on the hybrid and spending time with her. She saw her mother driving Jack to her new home, speaking comforting words and trying to depart wisdom.

Hope continued to wage through the brunette's memories. Searching for truth behind everything she had been told; and she found it. She went to pull back when something caught her attention. A small girl was being beaten and yelled at, trembling underneath the hands of her own father. The child cried out as her brother joined in, kicking the little girl in the stomach and laughing manically. The girl was older now, being beaten and raped in a dark city ally by boys and men she had grown up with. They were spitting on the girl, deviling her, cutting and biting off her skin. Marking her innocent flesh with wolf bites.

"Get out!" Jack yelled, pushing Hope out of her mind and away from her. The brunette was hyper ventilating and hugged her knees to her chest, tears and panic in her eyes.

Hope was stunned. She came to out of her shock and stared wide eyed at the woman on the other side of the bed. Her heart ached and cried for the brunette. She hadn't just seen what had happened to Jack, she felt it all too; that's what happened when you entered someone's mind and rummaged around their brain. The red head wanted to apologize, beg for forgiveness, but all she could do was stare and fight back her own tears.

"Please leave me alone," Jack whispered, digging her face into her legs, hiding.

"Jack, I'm so s-"

"Please," the brunette pleaded, her voice muffled.

Hope slowly rose from the bed. She stared at the brunette for a moment and then headed toward the door. She walked through the threshold and turned. "I'm sorry, Jack." The red head received no response. She bit her lip, contemplating. "When you're ready to talk, I'll be around." Still no response. Hope swallowed a sigh as she closed the door. The red head walked down the hall and sat on the steps, wanting to fix what had happened and knowing she couldn't.


	2. Chapter 2

A few days had passed. The vampires hadn't made an appearance, and neither had Jack; at least not while Hope was around. Lizzie had spoken to the brunette, spent time with her. The blonde was raving about how awesome and funny Jack was, asking Hope if they could 'keep her.' Apparently, the brunette was a great swimmer, dancer and singer; Hope already knew about the singing. Jack was great at card games and cooking. The red head learned about the cooking too. The brunette had left her a few made up plates of dinner that had been put away. The hybrid was also handy apparently, having fixed several things on the property. The young Mikaelson was starting to get annoyed.

Hope was bothered that Jack was avoiding her. She was bothered that Lizzie was getting to spend so much time with her. Knowing Jack was avoiding her upset the tribrid. Hope knew she was wrong, she felt guilty and wanted to make it right. But Jack was a ghost to her. And if she had to hear one more damn thing about the brunette from Lizzie's mouth, she was going to lose it. So the red head decided to seek Jack out.

Hope caught the hybrid's scent and followed it deep into the woods. She took her time, thinking about what she was going to say. She couldn't decide if she wanted to be blunt or gentle. When Hope found the brunette and realized where they were, she froze. Jack was sitting in front of where the white oak tree used to be. They were at ground zero for all vampires, for her family. Hope knew the hybrid heard her, but the woman didn't budge. Jack sat cross legged, her back to the red head. The tribrid decided to sit directly across from Jack, mere inches away, staring at the brunette's face.

"What?" Jack asked coldly, avoiding eye contact.

"We need to talk," Hope stated.

"You know everything you need and then some," the brunette spat out. "I don't see what else there is to talk about."

"I'm sorry," the young Mikaelson let out, receiving nothing from the hybrid. "I was on my out and saw… those memories and I couldn't look away. It was wrong. I was wrong. I can't take it back. But I'd like to make it right and move past this."

"How? Now all you'll see when you look at me is that little girl. And that's not how I want to be seen by you."

"It's what I see right now," Hope admitted, causing the brunette to look at her, hurt in her hazel eyes. "But it's not all I see."

"Ask," Jack spat out, bitterness in her eyes. The red head gave a quizzical look. "Ask what you want to ask. Say what you want to say. Then it's done. I won't talk about it again."

"I don't know if that's a good idea-"

"You want to move past it, right?" the brunette cut her off. "The only way it might work is if we talk about it. I'm not good at it, but I don't want you to see me that way. And you seem to want to air it all out."

"Okay," Hope exhaled a deep breath. "That was your father and brother, hurting you?"

"Yes."

"They beat you?" there was pain in Hope's voice, and it caused Jack to glare at the red head.

"Yes."

"Often?"

"What do you consider often?" Jack muttered sharply. Hope stared at her with pity, and the brunette almost screamed. "Yes, often," she gritted out.

"And your pack?"

"They hated me."

"Why?" The tribrid was bewildered.

"I can use magic," the brunette watched Hope's face at the admittance. The red head's eyebrows raised and nothing more. "My mother comes from a powerful line of witches, almost as powerful as yours. They're main practice is necromancy and black magic. I can't use magic like you. But I can use it. The pack saw me as an abomination. My mother was not my father's wife. They had an affair. My mother brought me to my father when I was born, she didn't want me. Both of my parents were married, and mother's husband told her to get rid of me. That's what I was told anyway." Jack coughed from the lump in her throat. "My father didn't want me either. His wife wanted me dead. But my grand father was the alpha, and him and my grandmother wanted me. In their eyes, I was their blood, a part of the pack. It wasn't my fault, the circumstances that brought me into the world. That's what they would say. And when I got older and they learned I could use magic, my grandparents almost got into a war with their own people. The pack wanted me gone, but my grandparents refused. When I was eight… my father killed them, his own parents, and became alpha. My father was a drunk. He couldn't kill me. He couldn't send me away. But he was also disgusted by me. I reminded him of his own shame and guilt, and he took it out on me. It's not that much different than any other unwanted child who's raised by a drunk."

"It's a bit different," Hope said as she looked at the woman in disbelief. A moment of silence passed. "How did… the… the ally…" the tribrid was struggling with the question.

"My father died when I was twelve. Like I said, he couldn't kill me. The little bit of the good man that was left in him loved me. But when he died, the pack came after me." Jack cleared her throat again. "I made it to the city, to New Orleans. There was a celebration going on and they lost me in the crowd. I stopped in an ally, thinking I would be alright. But then… they found me. And that happened… and then your father found me."

Hope didn't know what to say. She wanted to comfort the brunette; make all the pain she saw in the woman's eyes disappear. But she could also see that Jack despised any comfort toward the situation. It was as if the hybrid saw it as demeaning. So Hope took another deep breath and continued. "Where did you go after my mother took you away?"

"She took me to Toronto. A man named Alastair took me in. He had helped your mother when she was younger. Him and his wife, Sara, loved me like their own. They taught me everything they knew about everything. We lived in a rural town outside of Toronto," Jack began to smile for the first time in Hope's presence, fond memories filling her mind. "They accepted me, even as a hybrid. We were a family, a pack. I even found a brother in their son, Kaiden. In his eyes, I was blood. He was older than me by a few years. He was the big brother I always wanted. My life was perfect for a while. And then that pack showed up. The super wolves. My family and I held them off the best we could." Jacks eyes turned cold. "One day, Kaiden and I were out hunting. We came back and found Alastair and Sara dead, decapitated. Kaiden went into a rage and ran after the wolves. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. When I caught up to him, the last three remaining wolves were tearing him apart." The hybrid chocked back tears. "I snapped. Within minutes, I had ripped those wolves to shreds. I fed my brother my blood before he died, but he didn't come back." Jack sniffed and wiped a stray tear off her cheek. Hope remained silent. The red head was itching to hold the brunette tightly in her arms, to let the hybrid cry and know she was safe. It bothered Hope, but it also felt natural. She pushed her inner battle aside, keeping her focus on Jack. "Marcel found me in the woods a few days later. He had been tracking the wolves. He brought me back to New Orleans."

"I knew I saw you before," Hope's thoughts escaped through her lips. She momentarily panicked, not wanting to seem insensitive. But Jack looked relieved. "Before I broke up with Josie, we visited Marcel and Aunt Elizabeth. They told us to stay away from one side of the estate because they had company. When I asked my Aunt who it was, she said it was a beautiful bird with an injured wing, healing and learning how to fly again." Hope and Jack laughed at that.

"That sounds about right. Your Aunt is cheesy, romantic, sarcastic, or fucking terrifying. And there's always sass." The duo laughed again. "I remember that. I walked out of my room late at night to get some water. A woman was in the kitchen when I went down there; Josie." The brunette paused, afraid to upset the tribrid in any way. "She introduced herself. I shook her hand, grabbed some water and walked away."

"Yes!" Hope squealed in laugh. "She came back to the room with such an attitude. She wouldn't shut up about how rude you were. You cock blocked me that night, by the way. She just couldn't get over you ignoring her. I passed out listening to it."

"Well thank God I cock blocked you. I thought I would puke if I had to hear the two of you one more time."

Hope's face turned red. "You heard us?"

"Uh, yeah. It was disgusting. 'Ohhhh Hoooppppeeee!" Jack mocked, a fake expression of pleasure on her face. "Oh yeah! Right there! Don't stop!" The brunette began to choke on her laughter. "It was like listening to horrible, supernatural porn! Fucking high ass, exaggerated moans."

The tribrid gave a fake appalled look. "How do you know I'm not that good?"

"Love, you could be the best, and it wouldn't change the fact that she was faking it." Jack grinned smugly.

"That's just rude," the red head smacked the brunette's shoulder.

"You know it's true."

"I'll never admit it," Hope crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the hybrid teasingly.

"Yeah, well, she sounded like a horrible lover."

"How does someone sound like a bad lover?"

"Because I didn't hear you at all." Blunt and to the point. Hope's entire body flushed. "All I heard was miss America fake screaming her lungs out. I didn't hear a peep from you. Not even dirty talk. Bad lover. Horrible sex."

The tribrid sat with her mouth open, nothing to say. She wanted to defend herself and her past relationship. She wanted to argue and defend her wounded ego. But she couldn't. She decided to mumble a "whatever" at the brunette, earning a satisfied smile.

"It's alright," Jack squeezed the tribrid's arm, "you'll find a great lover one day. Someone who's just as concerned with pleasing you as you are with them."

Hope shook her head disapprovingly and stared into mischievous hazel eyes. She was stuck, caught in the pull of gravity once more. The red head suddenly became hyper aware of the hand on her bicep. The simple touch was sending a slow wave of molten lava throughout her veins, landing in the pit of her stomach. Her heart fluttered. Hope hated and loved the feeling. She knew from experience; it didn't take much to be interested in someone. Attraction drew her in, personality kept her in orbit for a while. But it had never been as fast as this. The young Mikaelson was enchanted by the brunette. She barely knew Jack, and yet everything about the woman intrigued her. More. She wanted more. She wanted to dissect and dismantle the hybrid, and then gently and carefully put the woman back together. It hit her like a ton of bricks; she liked Jack. Really liked her. Hope had only had several conversations with the brunette, and she was done for. Panic spread like a tidal wave crashing in her mind.

Hope came barreling out of her thoughts and her breath caught in her throat. Jack's eyes were open, vulnerable, full of uncertainty and longing. Her blue orbs searched the hazel ones that captivated her, and she found it; Jack felt the same. "Hope," the brunette exhaled her name like it was a privilege. It sent shivers down the red head's spine.

Something primal inside of the tribrid clicked on. She felt her eyes turn gold and her body began to ache. Hope's mouth parted when she watched the brunette's eyes change, reflecting her own. Jack's hand squeezed the red head's arm before making its way up to the porcelain skin of the tribrid's neck. The young Mikaelson released a breath she didn't know she had been holding at the contact. It was like electricity when Jack's fingers touched her skin; hot, conductive, overwhelming to her senses. The brunette's breathing quickened, and her eyes became brighter. "Jack," Hope almost whined.

The hybrid closed her eyes and froze. Hope's scent was intoxicating. It smelled sweet and earthy; it made the brunette's heart soar. The red head's skin was soft and heated. Jack could feel the want and the aching seeping out of Hope's pores and into the air, on her fingertips. The brunette's mouth salivated, and she could feel her canine's starting to grow. Jack knew the tribrid felt the change within her.

Hope lunged forward and pinned the brunette beneath her, a low feral growl escaping her chest. Jack opened her eyes with a moan, finding a very heated gaze. The tribrid's fangs were out, her eyes brught gold, mixed with specs of blue. Gravity. Jack couldn't pull away if she wanted to. The brunette wanted to be claimed, her body was screaming for it. And she wanted to mark Hope and lay waste to her. Jack tilted her head to the side, offering herself to the woman above her. The red head moaned loudly. Her body was on fire and a steady stream of heat was being shot to her core. Hope was yelling at herself in her head. This was crazy. This random stranger, a woman she barely knew, was drawing her most primal instincts out. Jack was submitting to her. Practically begging to be taken by her. And Hope couldn't think of anything she wanted more than to mark the brunette and bind herself to the hybrid.

"Hope!" the young Mikaelson heard someone yell, pulling her out of her trance. There stood Lizzie Saltzman, horror and confusion all over her face. "What the hell are you doing?"

Hope looked down. She was straddling Jack, pinning the brunette's hands above her head. Horror filled her. Jack was telling her about traumatic events and her she was, trying to claim the woman. Fear filled her.

"Hey," Jack whispered, gaining the red head's attention. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's okay. Everything is alright."

"Okay," Hope whispered back before releasing the hybrid and sitting up. She stood and offered a hand to the brunette, helping her up off the ground. Hope risked a glance into Jack's eyes and found nothing but comfort and reassurance.

"What was that?" Lizzie interrupted the moment, taking a few steps closer to the two women.

"I'm uhhh, not really sure," Hope admitted, avoiding her friend's eyes.

"Forget it," the blonde waved her hand. "Josie's here."

"What?" the tribrid began to panic inside.

"Yeah, remember, she came home for mom's birthday. "

"Oh, shit," Hope brought her hand to her head, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"She's back at the house. She's staying with us, remember? Or did you completely forget everything?"

"I remember Lizzie!" Hope snapped. She calmed in an instant and looked apologetically at her friend. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to speak to you like that. I forgot what day it was, not that she was supposed to come. We've had a lot going on the past few weeks."

"Whatever. I'm going back to the house." The blonde looked between the two women curiously. "Are you two, like… is something going on?" Jack pulled her vape out of her pocket and took a few long drags, looking away from the Saltzman twin. Hope opened and closed her mouth a couple times, genuinely not knowing what to say. Lizzie smiled knowingly. "You two are so fucked."

When the trio made it back to the house, Hope stopped a few feet from the front porch. Jack stopped and turned to the red head. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," the tribrid replied. Jack cocked an eyebrow. "No. No I'm not. Happy?"

"Am I happy you're not okay? No," the brunette took a step closer to Hope. "Am I happy you're being honest? Yeah."

"Shut up," the red head smiled and nudged the other woman's shoulder.

"Can I do anything for you?" Jack asked earnestly.

"Pretend to be my girlfriend?" Hope asked jokingly.

"I don't think I could do that."

"I was just joking," the red head defended, feeling rejected. "But now I want to know why you couldn't."

"You really have to ask that question?" Jack took a step closer, mere inches between the women. Hope's breath hitched; all she could do was stare at the brunette's plump lips. "That's why," Jack whispered. "Because there's something there. And if I pretend, I might convince myself it's real. Because…" the brunette hesitantly placed her hand on Hope's cheek, causing the tribrid to take a deep, shaky breath. "Because I want you." That hit Hope straight in her core. The red head's vision traveled between hazel orbs and pink lips.

"Hope!" Lizzie shouted from the front door, breaking the moment.

"I'm coming!" the tribrid shouted back. Jack took a step back, removing her hand from the red head's cheek. Hope automatically missed the touch.

"I bet you are!" the blonde replied, grinning ear to ear.

Jack began to laugh as Hope's body turned red. When the brunette collected herself, she turned to find Lizzie on the porch. "She's not coming yet." The red head punched Jack in the arm, earning a smug smile from the hybrid.

"I like her," Lizzie commented. "We're so keeping her. Now, let's go!"

When Hope finally made it inside, she was relieved to only see Jack sitting on the couch. Lizzie was in the kitchen, preparing snacks and getting water. The red head sat down next to Jack, making sure there was no room for anyone else, placing her feet in the brunette's lap and stretching out to the other end. The blonde placed pretzels and chips on the coffee table, along with some bottles of water. She sat down on the love seat and waited.

"She's in the bathroom," Lizzie said, answering Hope's silent question.

"This isn't awkward," Jack murmured before puffing on her vape.

"Do you know those things kill?" the blonde glared at the brunette.

"Lies. There's no proof." The hybrid waved her hand. "Besides, I definitely kill, and you're letting me stay here. So, I don't see the harm." She shrugged her shoulders, hitting her vape again.

Hope spit out a laugh and nudged the brunette's thigh with her boot. "You're so gay."

"Oh, sweetheart, you have no idea," Jack said with a smirk as she wriggled her eyebrows.

The tribrid's eyes widened and she kicked the brunette again, shaking her head sarcastically. "Shut up,"

The bathroom door opened, and the three women froze. The air became dense and Hope's heart started to hammer in her chest with dread. Footsteps were heard coming down the hall, and the red head somehow managed to sink lower into the cushions of the couch.

"Pathetic," Jack whispered to Hope, teasing, hoping to lighten the mood. And it worked.

The tribrid kicked the brunette again. "Shut. Up." She said with a smile.

When Josie reached the living room, she was met with the sight of her sister being entertained by the flirting and smug looks going on between her ex and some woman she had heard very little about. Externally, she seemed calm and collected. Internally, she was infuriated. The other Saltzman twin was repulsed by the scene.

"Come and sit with me," Lizzie said to her sister as she patted the seat next to her, excitement and joy in her eyes and voice.

Josie complied. She made herself comfortable on the couch and stared at Jack. The hybrid was puffing on her vape, making childish faces at her ex-lover. Hope was shaking her head and playfully kicking the woman every time she made a random gesture. If Josie didn't know Hope, she would have thought the two were putting on a show. And maybe they were to a certain extent. But she could tell by the adoring look in the tribrid's eyes that the affection and flirtation was real. "Hope," Josie greeted, breaking the ridiculousness taking place on the couch across from her.

"Josie," the red head greeted with a fake smile, only glancing at her ex. The room was awkwardly silent for a while.

"I'm Jack," the hybrid spoke up, waving at the other Saltzman twin. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Josie said coldly, rolling her eyes dramatically.

"Josie!" Lizzie scolded. "You said you would be nice."

"I am being nice," the blonde's twin defended.

"How's work?" Lizzie asked, trying to push past the elephant in the room.

"Good. We finished the new school in Europe. We'll have our first students in the fall."

"That's awesome. Congratulations," Hope said sincerely as she grabbed some pretzels, giving some to Jack.

"Fantastic!" Lizzie brightened up. "Everything's ready for mom's surprise party tomorrow night!"

"You're having a party for your mom tomorrow?" Jack interrupted, earning an annoyed look from Josie.

"That's what she just said," the other Saltzman twin bit out.

"Josie," the blonde warned again.

"What time?" the hybrid asked.

"It's the day of our grand opening," Lizzie said, proud. "Mom will never expect it's for her. I'm usually super selfish. She probably thinks I've completely forgotten about her birthday because my bar is opening."

"Our bar," Hope corrected before throwing a pretzel at Jack's face.

"You're a silent partner. You're the one who shows up for important things and tightens up ship. I'm the beautiful face of it all."

"Still our bar," the red head fired back, dodging a pretzel being thrown at her.

"I've been here for three days and you haven't told me," Jack mock pouted at Lizzie, getting another kick from Hope.

"It slipped my mind," the blonde said sincerely. "We've been having so much fun, I haven't thought of it when we're together. You can help tomorrow. I have last minute food and drinks that need to be delivered and put away."

"You got it, boss," the hybrid saluted Lizzie sarcastically, her face wearing a genuine smile. Hope kicked the brunette again. "That was dangerously close to my groin, Ms. Mikaelson."

"So," the red head challenged, a glint in her eye.

"You two are acting like you're five," Josie cut in, burning holes into Jack with her eyes.

"Hey now," Hope spoke up, kicking the hybrid two times in a row. "My therapist said I've reached the emotional maturity of a seven-year-old."

"She's dead on about me," Jack said as she squeezed the red head's side. Hope yelped and swatted the brunette's hand away.

"Could you both stop!" Josie shouted as she shot up from her seat.

"Josie-" Lizzie began.

"No!" the other Saltzman twin cut her sister off. "They're acting ridiculous. Hitting each other and throwing food. It's a mess in here."

Hope snapped her fingers. The random bits and chunks of food collected itself and flew into the kitchen trash can. "Are we good now?"

"No, we are not good," Josie gritted out. "How can you sit here, in front of me, pretending to flirt and be all cute with some random woman you just met? It's insulting."

"First of all," Hope sat up, eyeing her ex down. Jack and Lizzie glanced worriedly at each other. "Who said we're pretending? Second, you don't even know anything about her, so maybe take that insulting tone out of your mouth."

"Oh no," Jack muttered to the blonde, hitting her vape once more. Lizzie gestured for the brunette to pass the vape and the hybrid complied.

"Third, this is my house and your sister's. I live here," Hope rose from her seat, her temper boiling. Lizzie went to pass the vape back to Jack, and the brunette pulled another one out of her pocket, waving her hand to let the blonde know she could hold on to it. Hope continued, "What I do in the place I live, who I bring here, who stays here, is none of your business. Because I would never bring anyone here if I thought they were a threat to Lizzie."

"This is gonna be bad," the hybrid whispered to the blonde, hitting her vape for the millionth time. "There's not enough nicotine in this vape to calm my nerves."

"This is just nicotine?" Lizzie whispered back, disappointed. But continued to puff on the device anyway, getting what she could out of it.

"You're not pretending?!" Josie fired back, crossing her arms over her chest, wearing a cocky smirk. "You're telling me you're not over there, being all cute, because I'm here?"

"Not everything is about you, Josie!" Hope yelled.

"Can we leave?" Lizzie asked, sinking in her seat.

"I want to," Jack admitted, "but I think it's a horrible idea. They might actually kill each other if no one else is around."

The blonde sighed. "You're right. We'll stay. Pass me some pretzels?"

"I'm not reaching in between them."

"You're telling me you're in love with this woman child?" Josie pointed at the hybrid who was basically breathing her vape.

"No one said anything about being in love," Hope replied. "But that doesn't mean I'm not interested in her. You're so fucking cocky! And rude! You know nothing about her!"

"Do you even know anything about her?"

"Yes, actually, I do!"

"Bullshit."

"There you go again, thinking you know everything! That was always a problem!"

"Oh my God, we're gonna die," Jack sighed to the blonde on the couch next to her. "They're about to go in and we're going to be collateral damage."

"I'm totally safe," Lizzie smiled contently. "They both love me. You, on the other hand, not so much. Hope would defend you, but I don't know. I've never seen Josie this pissed. It's kinda cool."

"Great," the brunette breathed.

"No! Our problem was you!" Josie shouted as she poked Hope's chest. "You left me, remember?! Because I'm not immortal! But it's all worked out for you, Hope. You've got yourself a nice immortal whore now!"

Lizzie's mouth opened in shock and pure excitement. "This. Is. Fantastic." She said.

"For you, maybe," Jack breathed. "I'm being used as a pawn for an ex-lover's quarrel. And I just got called a whore. I'm actually quite a prude. I've only had sex with three people."

"Really?" Lizzie looked at the brunette in horror.

Hope snapped. Sure, she had wanted to make Josie a little jealous. And yeah, she was over exaggerating with Jack. But Josie calling the hybrid a whore… is set off an explosion within the young Mikaelson. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Hope's eyes started turning gold. "Don't call her a whore." The tribrid's tone was eerily calm and it sent the entire room on edge. "Don't take it out on her. She didn't do anything. Yeah, Josie, one of the reasons I broke up with you is because I'm immortal and you're not. But it's not the entire reason. Far from it. I said that to be nice. Because the rest of it… was not so nice."

"Now I think we're all going to die," Lizzie admitted to Jack, actual fear in her eyes.

"What does that mean?" Josie grinded her teeth. Hope just stared at her. "Say it. Don't be a coward."

"Fine," Hope replied.

"Fuck, we're dead," Jack said to the blonde.

"I'm too young and pretty to die," Lizzie breathed.

"We weren't happy," Hope started. "We fought almost all the time. We couldn't agree on anything. You tried to control everything I did. You even tried to tell me I couldn't be friends with certain people. You demanded all my time when you had no other plans. You used me for sex that you weren't even enjoying, and you didn't reciprocate for a _long_ time," the red head growled. "And you were cheating on me."

Josie froze. Her mouth fell open and horror filled her face. She was embarrassed, humiliated. And the guilt and shame from her actions soared to the surface. Her entire demeanor changed. "Hope, I-"

"Don't," the tribrid cut her off. Her eyes were softening, no longer burning gold. "I know. And I know it wasn't just once." Hope pinched the bridge of her nose. "It doesn't have to be this way. We don't have to fight. We don't have to do this messy… thing." The red head looked into Josie's eyes pleadingly. "We can be civil. We don't have to be friends. The love we had died a long time ago. It was beautiful while it lasted, but it's not there anymore. I do love you, Josie. But I haven't been in love with you for a long time. And you haven't been in love with me for a long time. I'm honestly still angry about the cheating, nothing else. I want you to be happy. I want you to find real, soul shattering love. But I don't want to talk to you unless I have to. I had to find out from other people that you cheated on me. That stings, still. That's where I'm at. That's the truth." A long silence occurred before Hope spoke again. "I'm not saying I was perfect, Josie. Far from it. I know I'm an asshole. I know I'm stubborn and harsh. Sometimes I'm cold. I shut down. I run away. I fight to get my way until I see that my way probably isn't right. I try to save everyone. I want everyone I love close, but I don't want to let them in. I know me. I'm not easy to deal with, I know." The red head swallowed and stuck her hand out. "Truce?"

Josie bit her lip and shook her head. "Truce," she said as she shook her ex-lover's hand.

Jack laid in her temporary bed, staring out the window at the half moon. Her heart always trembled at the sight. It made her feel warm, content, connected. It made the brunette yearn for things she couldn't put into words. The stars stole her breath and mesmerized her. The hybrid had a deep fondness for the night sky. She was in love with it; always had been.

It had been a few weeks since the blow out between Hope and Josie. After, Jack had politely declined the invitation to the party. She helped Lizzie, gave the blonde a gift for her mother, and spent the night roaming the woods as a wolf. It had been perfect. The quiet. The alone time. The silence and bond to everything around her. The wolf in the brunette always longed for such things. It was like the love she had for a nice fall day. The sun hot and bright, a cool breeze blowing in the air. Laying in a tall grass field or by a stream. Lazy days in the sun. The wolf in her treasured those moments as well.

The human part of her loved music. If she wasn't supernatural, she'd tried to play music for a living. There was something about a crowd full of thousands of people singing the same song back to the person who wrote it. There's always that one moment at a concert where everyone in the building is linked. All of them feeling and releasing, communing with each other. Singing the same words and feeling different yet similar things, having different yet similar meanings. One moment of pain or joy created an anthem that thousands, sometimes millions, shared. To Jack, it was soul shattering.

The vampire side of her loved sex to an extreme. Any kid of sex, really. But the best was when she was in love. Skin to skin. Eye to eye. Heart to heart. Every touch creating a rapture within. Every kiss stealing life and then replenishing it. Bare skin short circuiting her brain and rebooting it with one goal in mind; total annihilation of any boundaries or barriers. Shaking from a look. Coming undone from the love being shared, not just the flesh. Baring your soul and all your flaws, seeing every centimeter of someone else, and ravishing them for it, because anything else wouldn't make sense. Being lost and found in the same moment. Jack ached for those interactions.

The witch in her adored and was fascinated with magic, or anything mystical and mysterious. Being able to heal or harm with a word or a flick of a wrist. Giving life or taking it away. Making a garden grow. Protecting an innocent with an invisible barrier. Simply making something float because she was too lazy to get up. Magic was fun and exhilarating. It could be destructive and atomic, but it was more beautiful than it was ugly. And the brunette devoured anything intriguing.

On this night, when Jack stared into the night sky, pondering and thinking about all these things, a crushing realization buried her alive. She was in love with Hope Mikaelson. The tribrid was the night, she was the day, the sunrise and the sunset. She was the calm and the chaos. Hope was peace and quiet, she was the cool sweet breeze and the burning hot sun. She was the lulling sound of a stream in the quiet of the woods. She was the stars that burned brightly and soothed her soul. The red head's voice and laughter was music. It cracked open Jack's heart and laid her bare and wanting for more connection. Hope was desire and passion. Made her breathless and gave her life all at once. The brunette hurt to touch the Mikaelson's skin, ached for the woman in all ways. To taste her and devour her; mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Every time she looked upon the tribrid and learned something new, no matter what it was, Jack longed to know it intimately. She wanted to absorb the red head in every way possible. The vampire in her salivated at the thought of chomping down into Hope's neck and tasting her, feeding. The scent of the woman drove the brunette mad. The wolf in her longed to lay claim, mate with her, bound there souls together. And she wanted Hope to claim her. The witch in Jack was captivated. Hope _was_ magic. She was myth and legend. She was the awe and wonder a human child experienced when watching Harry Potter for the first time. The red head was the agonizing, desperate, lifesaving breath Jack took when she finally got above water after almost drowning. She was everything gorgeous and tragic, good and ugly, loving and envious about the world. And to Jack, Hope was imperfect, and that made her perfect.

The hybrid swallowed a sob as a few tears rolled down and across her slanted face. Pain. It was an old, unwelcomed friend to the brunette. She ran from it hopelessly. Ha. Hopelessly. She was hopeless for Hope. Jack laughed and rolled her eyes at herself for the thought. The feelings were agonizing because she was sure that she would never have a chance. Hope was a star, a red super giant, like VY Canis Majoris. And Jack was a pup. A tiny organism in the vast universe. The brunette fell asleep crying and choking on silent sobs.

Hope rose slowly from her bed, groggy and delirious, but delighted. She had been up most of the night, running in the woods, free and as a wolf. Digging her paws into the dirt, inhaling the fresh and soothing scent of trees and grass. Enjoying the glaring light of the moon beaming down upon her. The past month, since her fight with Josie, had been exhausting. There had been a few smaller arguments between the red head and her ex-lover, but they had worked through the worst of it. Josie was going to be around for a for a while, until she left to start the first semester at the new Salvatore school in Europe, and Hope didn't want to feel awkward, uncomfortable or petrified any time she was around her. She didn't want to live in fear and keep an eye out for Josie everywhere she went, prepared for torment and chaos.

It was strange to the red head, how one look and heated argument with her ex made all the remnants of her pinning and wondering disappear. Yes, there was still something lingering. But the more time that passed, the more it disappeared. Josie was an old, healing wound now, not a what if. It was nice but also painful. But the argument with Josie made something else crack inside of Hope. It had busted open her simmering feelings for Jack.

The longer Hope was around the hybrid, the more she craved the brunette. All the little things got to her and set her on edge, driving her crazy more and more each day. Like the way Jack would consider each word in a serious conversation and be deliberate with her actions. Or how the brunette would go out of her way to do little things for Hope, and for others. Like when she cleared out the over run garden for Lizzie and planted fresh flowers because the blonde had gazed at the shrubbery, heartbroken. Or even when they were at the bar and Josie had gone to leave, Jack stopped her to hand her an umbrella because it was pouring outside. Or how Jack was careful with when and how she touched Hope, never wanting to cross a boundary or overstep, even though the brunette clearly wanted to. Always reassuring and validating Hope's emotions and never feeding into the tribrid's selfish bullshit, mocking and teasing her, calling Hope out and challenging her.

There had been a few moments the young Mikaelson and Jack had been in compromising positions. One day they were training, Hope pinned the brunette down, only to be flipped onto her back and locked into the ground. They had been so close, bodies meshed and breaths mingling. Hope even tried to initiate a kiss, but Jack pulled away. The brunette said she thought it was wrong to steel a kiss from a woman who was all worked up from a fight. Who said that? Apparently, Jack did. The other day, Hope had come home tipsy. The hybrid carried her to her bed. The red head took advantage of the situation and purposefully started stripping in front of the brunette to change. Jack turned around, facing the door, stating that if Hope didn't need anything else, she was going to leave. And she did. Walked right out of the room with a naked Mikaelson behind her. That one stung Hope's ego, but it also made her heart grow fonder.

Jack wanted the red head; Hope knew it without a doubt. It was the way the brunette looked at her, spoke to her, treated her. The hybrid saw Hope for who she was. Not as a Mikaelson. Not as the tribrid. She saw Hope, the person, the woman, the mess. And no matter what she did, Jack rejected her advances and accepted the red head for everything she was and wasn't. So yeah, her ego was trying to prove something, but just a little bit. Her heart ached for something completely different.

Hope had spent the night running to get away, to clear her mind. She found solace and silence, warmth and beauty. She was content. But her heart was still found wanting. Jack was on her mind, in her dreams, on her soul. It was infuriating.

The tribrid decided a confrontation was necessary. She woke up that morning, showered, brushed her teeth, put on skintight jeans, a revealing shirt and headed down the stairs, her combat boots banging on the wood. Hope was greeted with the smell of eggs and bacon as she rounded the corner to the kitchen. There was Jack, listening to her headphones, smiling contently and cooking. It made the red head's heart swoon and set her body ablaze.

Hope drug her eyes up and down the brunette's body. The woman loved her old, cut up, sleeveless shirts, and the red head loved them too. It revealed Jack's toned arms, her sports bra that held her perky, full breasts, the upper part of her toned stomach. Her tattoos added fuel to Hope's fire fire. And today, the hybrid was wearing form fitting skinny jeans, her butt in view for the world to see.

"It's rude to stare," Jack said lowly, a smirk forming on her lips. She took the headphones out of her ears and fully faced the red head, her smirk blooming into a bright smile. "Good morning."

The hybrid's eyes twinkled with happiness and it made Hope's heart almost jump out of her chest. "Good morning. How did you sleep?"

"I slept well until I heard the front door slam open," Jack teased. "Had a heart attack. Ran downstairs and realized it was your ignorant wolf ass. You started shifting back and I had another heart attack and ran back to my room."

"I forgot you saw me naked," Hope bit her lip when a blush took over Jack's skin.

"I didn't," the brunette choked out, bringing her attention back to the cooking food. "I almost did. You should be more careful."

The red head hopped up onto the counter next to the stove, staring at Jack intently. "Why? I live here. I can walk around naked whenever I want."

"Someone could see you," the brunette countered weakly.

"Who? Lizzie? You?" Hope thoroughly enjoyed the deep blush that took over the hybrid's face. "Lizzie and I have seen each other naked countless times. We laid naked in the living room one time, watching Netflix and eating because our AC broke. It's not a big deal."

"You're best friends, it wouldn't be a big deal to either of you."

"So you're worried that you'll see me naked?"

"Why do you have to torture me, woman?" Jack breathed out as she transferred eggs onto a giant plate to cool off.

"Torture you?" Hope asked innocently, loving every second of the brunette squirming.

"Yes, torture me." Jack slid the bacon onto a different plate and turned the stove top off. She looked into the red head's eyes, finding a cocky smugness. The brunette moved forward and positioned herself between Hope's legs, placing her hands on the counter, inches from the young Mikaelson's thighs. The red head cleared her suddenly dry throat, her core immediately throbbing from how close Jack was, in between her legs. "You tease me. It's torture."

"You reject me. That's torture."

Jack almost looked hurt. "I'm not rejecting you, Hope."

"You shut down all of my advances."

"Because I don't want to fuck you." There was a moment Hope felt like she couldn't breathe. Jack noticed. The brunette took the Mikaelson's hands in her own stared into hurt, blue eyes. "What I mean, is that I don't see you as a sexual object." Hope inhaled deeply, finally able to move her lungs. "I don't want to use you in any way. I don't want to be friends and have sex. I want…" Jack looked away, becoming unsure of herself. The red head pulled one of her hands out of the brunette's and placed it under Jack's chin. She moved the hybrid's head until their eyes met again. A look on Jack's face that made all of Hope writhe and ache. The brunette sighed. "I want to date you."

Hope's smile lit up the room. She moved her hand to Jack's cheek and caressed the skin with the pad of her thumb. "Why did it take you so long to say that?"

"Josie," the brunette responded immediately. Confusion dripped from the Mikaelson's face. "You're just really starting to get over her and the relationship you've had. And I know you feel better about it, and it has less power over you, but you're not healed from it. I'm not going to try and start something with you when you're not fully healed. It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to me. I don't want to be a rebound"

"Jack, I'm not in love with her anymore. I haven't been for years," Hope's voice was pleading. The twinge of pain in her chest was growing. "And you could never be a rebound or something meaningless to me."

"That doesn't mean you're over it and everything that happened," the brunette said, sadness in her voice. "There's an entire grieving process to this kind of stuff and-"

"Stop," the Mikaelson slid off the counter and moved the hybrid out of her way.

"Hope," Jack called out.

"No. Don't." Hope turned around, tears in her eyes, breath shaky. "If you don't want to be with me all y-"

"Hope," the brunette repeated, grabbing the red head in her arms and hugging the woman tightly, stopping the tribrid in her tracks. "I _do_ want to be with you." Jack pulled back a little, leaving one arm around Hope's waist and bringing her other hand up, snaking it around the woman's neck. "But I want _all_ of you. And I truly believe you can't give me that right now. The day you can walk into a room and not be affected by Josie Saltzman like how you are now, is the day I'll take you on a date, if that's what you wish. Until then, I can't. I respect you. And I respect me. I can't. No matter how much I want to."

Hope knew the brunette was right, and she hated it. Her heart didn't belong to Josie anymore, but she never dealt with any of it. She pushed it away as far as she could. "Okay," the red head uttered out, holing back tears. She stared into hazel eyes; begging to be understood, trying to convey how they felt. Hope saw something then, and she was so sure it was true. Her head moved in closer to the brunette, their lips a breath away. "Jack," her voice came out needy, helpless, and the hybrid couldn't put up a fight.

Jack claimed Hope's lips timidly. Their lips moved in sync, barely applying pressure. The tribrid slid her hand into brunette locks and pulled Jacks face closer, earing a low groan. Hope moved her lips faster, pleased that the brunette instantly met her pace. The hybrid's hand gripped at the red head's waist, squeezing her hip, gaining a moan from Hope that Jack swallowed eagerly. The hybrid snapped, sliding her tongue across Hope's bottom lip, slipping it inside almost aggressively when Hope parted her mouth. Jack groaned at the taste and feeling of the warm, wet cavern of Hope's mouth. She slammed the Mikaelson into the wall, pressing their bodies together. The red head gripped and clawed at the hybrid's shirt, trying to get the woman's body impossibly closer.

"GUYS!" Lizzie yelled, snapping the two women back to reality and out of their kiss. "WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Alright, so all of those creepy fucking vampires are outside our house," Hope muttered as she stared out the front porch window. "It's like the night of the walking dead."

"I've got a plan," Jack said, gaining the red head's attention, along with Lizzie's. "They can't come in here because of your spells. I'll go out there, start a fight to distract them, and you two run and get back up."

"No!" the tribrid shouted, clearly not budging.

"Then what should we do? Wait in here? They're not going anywhere. I checked my cell phone; they've blocked off the service. And it won't take them long to get a witch her to break down the barrier."

"So we fight," Lizzie piped in. "They're juiced up vampires. We're three powerful women. A Gemini that's cheated the merge, a hybrid that's almost a tribrid, and a tribrid that kick's everyone's ass all of them time. We've got this." Jack and Hope stared at the blonde, contemplating. "Jack's right, we only have so long before they call reinforcements. If we work together, we'll win, I know it. Plus, if you don't get them while we have the chance, they'll keep terrorizing our friends, family and the innocent humans. We're kinda obligated here."

"Wow," Hope breathed. "I'm impressed Lizzie Saltzman." She smiled warmly at her friend.

"Yeah, well don't get used to it," the blonde rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Okay, so I'll go out first," Jack started up again. "I'll start it. Then the two of you come out and blast them with magic. If I need your help fighting, Hope, I'll say something. Deal?"

"Fine. I'll trust you." The tribrid lied. Not about the trust, but about agreeing to the plan. There was no way she was letting the brunette take the brunt of it and potentially die.

"Ready?" the hybrid asked, receiving a nod from the other two women. "Let's go."

Jack ran through the door and headed straight for the group of vampires, eyes gold and black, fangs bared, growling menacingly. The vampires roared and hissed, all five of them lunging at the hybrid. The first to reach the brunette was promptly taken down; Jack ripped the woman's heart out of her chest. The second bit into the brunette's neck. The hybrid reached behind and flipped the man's body over her head, slamming him into the ground, placing her foot on his chest and ripping his head off, blood gushing and splattering everywhere. Hope was momentarily stunned, shocked by the brunette. Jack was rageful, fierce, almost frightening. The red head shook herself out of it, casting a spell and sending the three remaining vampires flying. Jack quickly tore the vampires to shreds, limbs and organs flying in the air, scattering across the woods. When it was over, the hybrid stood hunched over, heaving and almost out of control, drenched in blood.

"Jack," Hope called. The hybrid turned, a menacing look in her eyes. "It's alright," the red head said calmly, making her way over to the brunette slowly.

The hybrid growled warningly at Hope. "Stay back," she gritted out.

"No," Hope whispered, continuing her slow pace.

"Stop!" Jack demanded. The red head shook her head. "One of them bit me. Injected me with venom. I can barely control my rage."

The tribrid finally stopped inches away from Jack. "I don't care," Hope whispered. She pulled the brunette in, hugging her tightly. "Fight it," she said into the hybrid's ear.

Jack's body shook, a mixture of fear and anger flowing through her. A few long minutes passed, and the brunette finally reciprocated the hug. She breathed the red head in as she nuzzled her face into the crook of Hope's neck. The rage had left her, her eyes a calm hazel once more. But a searing pain coursed through her veins. Jack went limp. Hope caught the brunette and slowly kneeled to the ground, holding the hybrid tenderly in her arms.

"It fucking hurts," Jack mumbled, the agony in her voice clear.

Hope panicked, not knowing what to do. Lizzie reached the two women, kneeling. The blonde looked Jack over, a sad look in her eyes. "I don't think there's anything we can do," she whispered.

"I can help," A woman's voice called. Hope and Lizzie looked up, finding a smug, tall woman dressed in black. "I have the cure for the poison in her veins."

"Give it to me," Hope growled, eyes flaring gold.

"I don't have it on me," the woman rolled her eyes, as if it was obvious. "But if you come with me, I can give it to her."

"Who are you?" Lizzie interrupted.

"Elenore," the woman said with a smirk. "I work for The Initiative."

"You're a hybrid," Hope wanted to kill the woman. "Why are you working for them?"

"The same reason any supernatural works for them. To become stronger. To change. Be invincible. Become something more."

"So you capture innocent people, your own kind, force them to be experimented on and tortured, to benefit yourself." Hope was furious.

"Sweetheart, the government is on to us," Elenore replied, clearly bored and annoyed. "Join them and get something out of it or be beaten. It's as simple as that."

Jack took a shaky breath and looked up over Hope's shoulder. Her eyes went wide at what she saw; Klaus. The man looked panicked, like he knew something horrific was about to happen. Jack knew what was going on. She was teetering the line of life and death. Before Klaus had found her when she was a child, she saw her grandparents standing there, pain and fear in their eyes. It was common for a necromancer to experience these things. Instinct took over the hybrid. She knew what to do without knowing what it was.

"Lizzie," Jack called out.

"Yeah," the blonde answered, placing her hand upon the hybrid.

"I need your power. And yours, Hope."

"Why?" the red head asked.

"Trust me."

Hope nodded. The two witches began focusing sending their energy to Jack. The brunette's eyes glowed again, but there were specs of red in them. Jack growled and reached out to seemingly nothing. But she was reaching for Klaus' hand. The man nodded and grabbed a hold of Jack. The brunette began to scream, and lighting cracked in the air.

"Stop!" Elenore yelled, realizing what was happening.

"Fuck you!" Jack screamed.

Hope and Lizzie watched in horror and amazement as a hand began to appear, wrapped around Jack's forearm. An arm came into view, shoulders and a chest. A body appeared behind Hope. The red head turned, and her eyes went wide when she saw him; her father. Both Jack and Klaus screamed in agony, their grips on each other becoming painful. "Now!" Jack yelled so loud it echoed through the trees. Klaus growled and jumped through an opening barrier behind Hope, landing in front of the three women. The hole closed. The lighting stopped. The forest became silent.

Hope and Lizzie stared on in awe; before them was a living, breathing Klaus Mikaelson. The red head almost fainted, but the brunette in her arms barely breathing and shaking stole her attention.

"Holy shit," Lizzie breathed.

Klaus rose, cracking his neck and shoulders on the way up. He stared down Elenore with a murderous rage. "I'm going to enjoy killing you," he muttered wickedly.

"What have you done?!" The Initiative agent yelled at Jack, furry and fear in her voice.

Klaus turned to look at the three women, laughing when he saw Jack flipping Elenore off. "I've always been fond of you, little Jack." The original hybrid's eyes met his daughters, filling with love and happiness before returning to being cold. "We'll talk as soon as I take care of this," he said to his daughter. Hope nodded, overwhelmed with all the emotions coursing through her.

"You're ruining everything," Elenore spat in a rage. "I'm going to have fun torturing you to death, mut," she bit out, directing her words at Jack.

"And I'm going to enjoy ripping out your tongue," Klaus said as his eyes turned gold and black, with swirls of red. He lunged forward, taking the agent by surprise. Pinning the woman to the ground, Klaus bit into the flesh of the woman's neck. She cried out and tried to escape the original hybrid's grasp, but it was futile. Klaus almost drained her dry before standing once more, a satisfied grin on his blood-soaked lips. "Any last words?"

"Davina," Elenore muttered.

The witch appeared out of thin air. Klaus was shocked and sent flying. Davina cast a spell, healing Elenore and stalking toward the three women. Lizzie tried to syphon magic from the ground but was knocked out by a spell. Hope dropped Jack onto the dirt and rose, her eyes golden and on fire. The red head cast a spell, stopping Davina in her tracks.

"How could you?" Hope spat angerly.

"You don't understand," Davina whispered. "I have no choice."

Davina broke through Hope's spell and pulled the tribrid to her. The red head tried to fight it, but it was pointless; she had given most of her power to Jack. The brunette witch bound Hope with a spell, walking closer to the tribrid, stopping a few feet away. "I'm not happy about this," Davina said to the young woman. Klaus screamed as he charged at the witch. He was thrown away again and trapped to a tree. "I don't want to hurt you, Klaus. Or any of you for that matter."

"That would be a first," the original hybrid growled out furiously, writhing and fighting like a wild animal to get out of his containment. "You're here to take my daughter away and you expect me to believe that! I'll fucking kill you!"

"I'm sorry," Davina breathed. She began chanting a spell, getting ready to transport herself and Hope. At the last minute, Jack pushed Hope aside, taking her place. The witch, the hybrid and The Initiative agent vanished into thin air.

Jack woke up gasping for breath. She tried to move and panicked when she couldn't. She opened her eyes and was blinded by the bright florescent lights. When her eyes adjusted, she looked at herself. The brunette was cuffed, chained and magically bound to a table in the middle of a small white lab. The hybrid breathed in deeply, smelling chemicals and death. A disgusted sigh left her mouth before she banged her head hard onto the cold, metal slab beneath her. "Hey!" she screamed. She had noticed the observation windows. "You fucking cock suckers!" Jack began to pull on her restraints, syphoning the magic from the table beneath her. Her restraints began to screech, slowly cracking and breaking. She freed one arm and then her other. Her legs quickly followed. In a fit of rage, she got up and pulled the steel lab table that was bolted in the ground, throwing it at the observation window, making a spider crack in the glass. "Come in and face me! Or I'll come out there! Your call!"

A loud beeping sound went off and the metal door hissed open, sliding into the concrete wall. In came Davina and a short, older man. "Sit," the witch said as she forced the hybrid to the floor.

"It's the traitor," Jack spat, her eyes flashing gold and red.

"What's with that?" Davina asked the man beside her.

The man in the lab coat took a few steps closer the hybrid, clearly confident in the witch's ability to keep the brunette in place. He lowered his round glasses from his eyes and stared into rageful orbs. "I've never seen it before. Not on anyone who hasn't been mutated. It's a natural phenomenon." The man sounded elated. He smiled at Jack. "I'm Dr Mason."

"Fuck off," Jack bit out.

"She syphoned magic from the table," Davina continued, ignoring the hybrid's glaring eyes.

"Yes. I've personally been watching her since she destroyed that pack. She can tap into certain magical abilities. Her mother was the leader of a necromancer coven." The doctor continued to look Jack up and down, writing notes on a white pad.

"That explains Klaus' resurrection," the witch muttered in a disgusted tone.

"She shouldn't have been able to do that," Dr Mason commented as he began to walk around the hybrid, taking more notes. "Most leaders of covens can never resurrect someone, especially not without help. She didn't even say a spell. Excuse, Miss Jack?" The small man made his way in front of the brunette once more, receiving a deathly look. "Did you know what you were doing when you resurrected Klaus Mikaelson?"

"Go fuck yourself," Jack replied.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Davina cut in.

"I can't wait to rip your fucking heart out," the hybrid spoke at the witch.

"Have it your way."

Hope had been laying in the bed Jack had been sleeping in for a week. She was almost catatonic. The tribrid wouldn't eat, barely slept, had only showered once to get the grime and blood off her. And she only did that so she wouldn't tamper with the hybrid's scent that had been left behind on the sheets. Hope had screamed, cried endlessly, broken things in fits, and it was all a blur to her. She wouldn't speak to anyone. Wouldn't see anyone. The only person who she didn't force to leave the room was her father. Klaus knew what this felt like. He also knew he couldn't say or do anything to help. He would come into the room once a day, sit in a chair beside the bed and hold his daughter's hand in silence. He didn't cry. He didn't look upon his daughter with pity or sadness. He just held her hand. Hope was shattered. She wanted to be okay, okay enough to spend time with her father and speak with him, but she couldn't. When she opened her mouth, she sobbed. When she attempted to get out of bed, she collapsed onto the floor. A part of her had broken.

This is why Hope hated feeling, hated loving people. It was detrimental to her health. It could annihilate her and leave her defenseless and writhing in agony. Emotional pain was the worst pain in her opinion. Hope had fallen in love the moment she met Jack, and it only grew. Love? Was she in love? Fuck. She was. Utterly, completely, madly and unconditionally in love. The full realization of it made her heart hurt worse.

"Hope," the red head heard her father whisper as he entered the room. Klaus walked tentatively to the other side of the bed where his daughter laid, placing a sandwich and a glass of water on the nightstand. "You have to eat, love." The tribrid glared at her father menacingly. "If you don't eat, you'll shift from starvation and kill the first person you see." Hope rolled her eyes and slowly sat up, leaning her back against the bed frame. "Thank you." Klaus sat down in his usual spot and passed the plate to his daughter. He looked out the window to the night sky and patiently waited for the red head to finish. When she placed the plate down, he turned and silently placed the cup of water into his daughter's trembling hands, withholding the pain he felt seeing his child so devastated. Hope glared at her father again, but willingly downed the cold water. The original hybrid took the glass from his daughter and placed it next to the plate. He cleared his throat before beginning to speak. "I'm not good at this, but I'm going to try." Hope's angry expression was fading. She was willing to listen to her father, even if all of her being wanted to tell the man to leave. "I know how this feels. And I'm not going to lie to you and tell you everything will be alright because it bloody well may be one of the worst things that ever happens in your long life. But I can tell you, if you stay in this bed long enough, it will make it worse." Hope sighed, agitated with her father, because she knew he was right. Klaus smiled. "And I can't go on a vengeance spree trying to get Jack back without you. So tomorrow I need you out of bed, fed and showered. We have to go get her." A moment of silence passed. "This is how I know to fix things. I know it's not the best or right way. But I've never met anyone better than me when it comes to seeking revenge and saving loved ones. This won't fix it. It might even make things worse. But I also know that if I try to go and get Jack without you, you'll hate me forever. And I can't have that."

"I would hate you," Hope replied with a smile. "But not forever."

"I can't have you hating me. It would kill me." Klaus smiled at his daughter. "You're a lot like me. You're more like your mother. I'm thankful for it. But you're a lot like me when it comes to love, and the lengths you would go to for the people you love. And you're a lot like me with shutting people out because you love them so much." He took Hope's hand and squeezed it tenderly. "I lived my entire life doing that, and it only caused more pain for me and others. Please, try and be different. You're already so much better than I am. Thanks to Haley, and that bastard Alaric, and your friends. But when it comes to the extremely serious, you're just like me. It's no way to live Hope. Please, be better."

Hope cleared her throat a few times. Not speaking for a week apparently made the throat extremely dry. Or it could be the dehydration. Or both. "I will," she horsed out.

"Thank you," Klaus beamed at his daughter.

"You've been watching me?" the red head's voice was barely audible.

"I've never left your side, love." A flash of disgust crossed Klaus' face. "Well, there were a few times, but I didn't go far."

"Oh," Hope's face turned red. The tribrid needed to change the subject. "Tell me about Jack."

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything," she breathed.

Klaus nodded his head and leaned back in his chair, never letting go of Hope's hand. "I found her in that ally a few months after we sent you away. I've never stood by and watched a child be killed or harmed. That's one thing I can say. But you changed me, Hope. Before you, I would have saved her and left her to fend for herself. But when I saw her there, dying, my heart felt pain for a stranger for the first time in a millennium. I'm not sure if turning her was the right thing, but in the moment, it made sense. At the time, no creature was stronger than a well-trained hybrid. I felt like it was protection I could give her for eternity. I couldn't do it for you then. But I could do it for her." Klaus paused, memories flashing in his mind. "I couldn't visit her often. It reminded me of you too much. There were also times I visited her because I missed you, and it made me feel a bit better for a little while. I took care of her in the only way I knew how. I grew to love her. The same way I loved Marcelous when he was a child. I grew quite fond of her. She was smart, sarcastic, witty, fearless, stubborn as all hell. Like me. Like Marcel. Like you. Now that I think about it, there's no way I couldn't have become fond of her. I'm sure you share the sentiment," He smiled knowingly at his daughter, receiving an eye roll. "She was also damaged like I was, like Marcel; in unspeakable ways. That was a connection as well. When someone is abused as a child, there's always a bond between them and anyone else who's endured something similar. I love her as much as my own flesh and blood. The only person I love more is you, Hope." Silence cascaded over them for a while. "Before we got you back, I sent her away. It was too dangerous. I couldn't concentrate on you, our family and her. I kept tabs on her. When I had free time, I checked in on her. When I had to leave you so you wouldn't be possessed, I went to see her once, for a few days. She had a good family, a good life, and I left her alone after that."

"I'm jealous she got to spend so much time with you," Hope admitted. "I'm also glad she did. She probably wouldn't be alive without you, Dad. I hope you know that."

Klaus' eyes glazed over with tears. "That's kind of you, my love. I didn't spend more time with her. She was older than you, so she remembers more. I spent every moment I could with you, but you were so young, I don't expect you to remember."

"Mmmm," Hope hummed, understanding and agreeing. "Dad," she whispered, pausing for a few seconds. "Do you think we'll find her?"

Klaus waited for his daughter to meet his eyes and responded with sincerity. "I will move heaven and Earth to find her for you, love."

"For me?"

"I know love when I see it," the original hybrid smirked. "It's a bit weird for me, but I couldn't think of a better suitor. Jack is probably the only person I would approve of and not try to kill. You got lucky with that." Hope laughed. "I would do anything for you, Hope. And because she means so much to you, I will not stop until I find her."

Jack couldn't remember how long she had been in the facility. Weeks? Months? Years? All she knew was that she was constantly in and out on consciousness. Her body ached, all the way down to her bones. The Initiative had been poking and prodding her, injecting her and cutting out bone marrow. Jack was no longer a hybrid; she knew that much. The brunette's body went through a metamorphosis almost every day. They would splice her DNA, alter it, fill her with diseases, then wait to see the outcome. Jack had died a few times, and always came back. The last time she woke up screaming and writhing, shifting into something like a wolf. They were using her to perfect some sort of serum. And the brunette was giving up. The more time went on, the more she longed to die. But still she fought. Jack would break out of her chains, kill guards and doctors, and get locked up once more. She never cried. Never begged. Never gave them the satisfaction of knowing she was slowly dying inside. The brunette feared her condition was becoming visible. She had no energy. No will. She laid limp and lifeless most of the time. They had been force feeding her, giving her saline through an IV when she was passed out.

Jack was chained upright to a wall, her head hanging over, her now long hair covering her face. She stared at the ground, getting lost in a dried pool of her own blood, wishing she had bled out completely. They had cut her stomach open before she passed out the last time. When she came to, her body was healed, not even a scar. The brunette lifted her head to look around the room. The bodies of her cell mates were laid out across the floor. The same experiments that had been done to her had been done to them. They were all dead. Everyone but her.

The sound of an explosion was barely heard by Jack's ears, and the violent shaking of the building faintly registered in her mind. Yelling. People were yelling. Now screaming. Screaming in pain. She heard growling. More explosions. More tremors in the floors and walls. The brunette's head tilted to the door. As if on cue, it busted open, giant metal doors denting and caving in. Gun shots. There were gun shots. Grenades going off. The explosions made sense now. Vampires, werewolves and hybrids came flooding into the room, setting up positions, preparing for the next wave of Initiative soldiers. Jack was suddenly being unchained. Someone gently grabbed her and carefully brought her to the floor.

"Jack." Hope. It was Hope speaking. The brunette shook her head, convincing herself she was hallucinating, just like all the other times. "Jack," she heard the voice again. The brunette looked up from the chest her head was resting on. Her eyes went wide with disbelief. She reached her hand out and tenderly grazed the red head's skin, feeling the almost forgotten electric spark in her body. The brunette inhaled deeply, that scent; sweet and earthy, vanilla and sandalwood. Hope. It _was_ Hope. "Jack," the tribrid said again.

"Hope!" Klaus yelled, standing in front of the two women. He was facing the door, firing an AK47 at incoming Initiative soldiers. "How are you doing back there, love?"

"She's not even coherent," the red head yelled. "I can't move her like this. Not right now."

"Plan B?!"

"Plan B!" she confirmed.

"PLAN B!" Klaus' voice boomed to his comrades. Bullets began pilling at the door, killing anyone who tried to come into the room. The original hybrid's gun locked up, over heated. "Why the fuck are we using these again?" He threw the gun at the door, sending it through a guard's skull.

"To conserve energy!" Hope shouted back, still trying to get Jack to speak.

"Screw this," Klaus breathed, eyes turning black and gold, swirls of blood red in his black orbs.

The others followed Klaus' lead. Weapons were dropped. Wolves shifted, vampires and hybrids darted to the door, and witches let all hell loose. Screams and growls became viciously loud. Limbs and heads went flying in all directions. Vampires and hybrids fed as they slaughtered soldiers. Witches were burning people alive. The loud roar of the battle eventually died down, all The Initiative guards dead. Some of the witches set up a barrier spell around the room; the group now taking the opportunity to rest.

"Hope," Jack finally croaked out in a whisper.

"I'm here," the read head replied, tears brimming in her eyes.

"You're real," the brunette said with a weak smile.

"Missing me so much that you made me an illusion?" Hope tried to joke, scolding herself.

"Yes," Jack replied honestly and pained.

"I need you to feed," the tribrid sat the woman up, holding the brunette steady.

"I can't feed from you."

"You don't have a choice. No one else here is strong enough."

"Then I'll wait."

"Jack," Hope said sternly. "If you wait any longer, you'll die. And I need you to be okay enough to walk out of here." The brunette shook her head. "Please," the red head begged.

"I don't know if I'll be able to stop."

"If you can't stop, I'll kill you," Klaus interjected.

"Dad!" Hope scolded.

"You promise?" the brunette asked weakly. The original hybrid nodded. "Okay."

Hope moved her hair away from her neck and tilted her head. Even in Jack's deathly state, the submissive action set something off inside of the brunette. Jack's eye turned black, rings of gold and white where here iris' where. Her canine's protruded. The normal four with a tiny sharp tooth behind each regular canine. The veins in her face became black, lines and patterns showing across the brunette's skin. Hope's breath hitched and it made Jack freeze. The brunette assumed the young Mikaelson was horrified and she looked away in shame and embarrassment. "Hey," the red head whispered as she gently grabbed Jack's chin and forced the woman to look at her. "Don't look away."

"I'm a monster," Jack said in a dejected voice.

"You're beautiful." The brunette was shocked at the statement. Hope stared into Jack's dark and bright eyes and smiled lovingly. Love. There was love. Jack saw it, without a doubt. "Please," the tribrid said, "feed." She pushed the brunette's head forward gently.

Jack hesitantly bit down into the soft flesh of Hope's neck. She growled out a moan at the heady taste of the tribrid's blood. The brunette clawed at Hope's waste, trying to pull the woman closer. The red head was doing her best to repress the moans trying to explode her chest. She grabbed ahold of Jack's shoulders and squeezed, biting down on her lip. Hope could feel her eyes changing. She struggled. All she wanted was to mark Jack in that moment. Claim her. And it was so inappropriate. The absolute worse time. But Hope could feel Jack's body responding in the same way as hers. The brunette was coming back to life and was perspiring want and desire; the read head could smell it in the air and taste it on her tongue when she breathed in deep enough. A small moan made its way past Hope's lips. And suddenly she felt Jack being ripped off her.

"That's enough," Klaus said, his face unreadable, as he pulled Jack away and sat her down on the floor.

"Dad!" Hope shouted for the second time in the past ten minutes.

"She's healed!" The original hybrid defended. "She's alright. You need your energy as well." The red head cocked her eyebrow at her father. He groaned in agitation. "If I had to take another second of you two trying to make each other climax through feeding, I might have killed her."

"Dad!" the tribrid's face flushed bright red.

"Tell me I'm wrong." Hope had nothing. Klaus took a moment to breathe and turned his gaze to Jack. She looked disoriented. "Jack?" The once hybrid looked up at Klaus, pupils blown, eyes glossed over. "You're fucking high right now, aren't you?"

"Maybe," Jack replied, a smile creeping on her lips.

"I'm going somewhere else," the original hybrid huffed, walking toward a random group of supernaturals.

Hope laughed at the giddy look on the brunette's face. "You are totally high right now."

"It's not my fault," Jack argued weakly. "I haven't fed in a long time. I haven't had fresh blood longer than that. And it was your blood." The brunette's voice dropped a few decimals. "Your blood." That shouldn't have been sexy. But it was. Hope was extremely turned on. Nothing about the situation should be remotely sexual. But it was. "Hope." The red head's name left Jack's lips like a prayer.

"What's this?!" MG shouted, standing in front of a locked metal shack in the lab.

"OH!" Jack shouted excitedly. She was definitely high from Hope's blood.

"What?" the red head questioned?

"Oh," the brunette whispered lowly, her excitement turning to worry.

"Jack, what is it?"

"Help me up, please?" the brunette asked Hope. The red head nodded and helped the once hybrid stand. "Klaus," Jack called. The man was rapidly beside the two women. "I need you to help me over to that room, please." He eyed Jack curiously but agreed. At lighting speed, Klaus carried the brunette to the door and softly placed her back on her feet. Hope was right behind them. "I don't know how you're both going to handle this," Jack started as she typed in the numbers to the keypad. "You know, these arrogant bastards were so sure I was going to die, that they hid nothing from me. I know all the passwords and codes for everything." The door hissed open. A bright, blue florescent light flooded out onto the trio. "Okay, so… I'm just gonna say it. I don't think there's an easy way to do this." Hope and Klaus looked at each other and then back at the brunette wearing the same expression; confused and concerned. "They resurrected your family and have had them asleep in tubes in this room." The original hybrid disappeared as soon as Jack finished her sentence.

"Holy shit," MG muttered when he looked inside the metal shack.

"Jack," Hope whispered. The brunette med the tribrid's eyes and saw fear. The red head was a scared little girl in the moment. "Will you go in with me?"

Jack nodded and gave a sympathetic smile. She grabbed the young Mikaelson's hand. "Ready?" Hope nodded. "Let's go."

The two women walked impossibly slow. Jack followed Hope's lead, not wanting to rush her. The red head gasped at what she saw. Her mother, Aunts, Uncles and Marcel, naked, unconscious and locked in steel pods. Hope's eyes were transfixed on her mother. Her heart beat wildly. She was worried, excited, in disbelief and awe, and she was infuriated. One more reason to kill every person in The Initiative.

"How do we get them out?" Klaus asked Jack, surprisingly calm.

"I'm not sure," the brunette replied. "I've never been in here." She turned to MG. "I'll take that computer and you take the other one." The vampire smirked and nodded. MG and Jack started typing away, eyes and fingers moving furiously. "Do you see that coding?" the brunette asked.

"Yeah," the vampire replied. "There's a few more like it."

"You find the back door?"

"Yeah."

"We'll go in together." MG nodded. "One. Two. Three."

"This is one of the most cool, nerdy things I've ever seen," Lizzie said, startling Hope.

"When did you come in?" the red head asked.

"Right after you. I'm not surprised you didn't notice." The blonde paused. "MG's kinda hot like this."

"Really?" Hope's eyebrow cocked, a smirk on her face. Lizzie shrugged her shoulders.

"Got it!" Jack shouted, startling the tribrid and the witch.

"We're badasses," MG said with a smile, high fiving the brunette.

"I recede my previous statement," Lizzie huffed, rolling her eyes. It made Hope laugh a little.

"Are you alright, love?" Klaus asked his daughter.

"Yeah," she mumbled.

"When I press this button, all of the doors are going to open," Jack started. "Klaus we'll get Elijah. MG will get Kol. Lizzie will get Freya. MG, will you go get Josie so she can get Rebekah?" The vampire nodded and left in a flash.

"How do you know Josie's here?" Lizzie wondered. Hope eyed the blonde. "What?"

"I can smell her," Jack mumbled, trying to keep her voice neutral. The red head heard the discomfort in the brunette's voice. "I'll get Marcel. And Hope, get your mother. Is everyone okay with that?" Everyone agreed but Hope.

"Should someone else get Marcel?" the tribrid questioned. "You were almost dead five minutes ago. I don't think it's a good idea to strain yours-"

"I'm fine," Jack cut the red head off, almost sounding angry.

"Leave her be," Klaus said to his daughter. Hope glanced at the brunette worryingly, before nodding her head to her father.

"Help Rebekah, right?" Josie asked as she walked in the room, stopping in front of the blonde vampire's pod.

"Yup," Jack replied in a clipped tone.

"Ready?" MG asked, trying to avoid the awkwardness building in the room. The group took their positions in front of the pods. "Go."

The pods hissed open, steam filling the room and piling out the doorway. An alarm cut through the air, gathering attention from the small army outside of the small box. Hope held in a deep breath. She still couldn't fully believe what was happening. Her mother was alive. Her mother was right in front of her, breathing. The red head's eyes began to fill with tears. The alarm cut off as the smoke began to clear. After a few long moments. The six prisoners opened there eyes simultaneously. Their eyes black with gold and white iris'; just like Jack.

The group of six growled, jumping on the people standing outside their pods. A fight broke out. When Hayley jumped on top of her daughter, she froze. Hope's heart was close to exploding. She was defenseless. Her mother looked like she was about to murder the tribrid. Hayley leaned in closer to Hope's face and inhaled. Recognition smacked the crescent alpha's face.

"Hope," Hayley whispered, a smile forming on her lips.

"Mom," the red head breathed as a tear slid down her cheek.

"A little help would be nice!" Klaus shouted to his daughter.

Hope slammed her hand on the floor, casting a spell. The remaining five prisoners were smashed with a tidal wave of blue energy. They froze and then collapsed. Hayley stood up, offering her daughter a hand. The red head smiled widely at her mother and accepted. The room became silent, all eyes on the mother daughter reunion. The tribrid grabbed her mother and squeezed her almost painfully. A small laugh left Hayley's lips as she wrapped her arms around her daughter. The two stayed in the embrace for so long, the on looking crowd began to shift their eyes away, feeling awkward.

"Hayley, love," Klaus spoke up, gaining the woman's attention.

The crescent alpha withdrew from her daughter. "I never thought I'd say it, but I'm happy to see you, Klaus."

The original hybrid smirked. "I never thought you'd say it either."

It was hard for Hope to believe the moment was real. There she stood, between both of her parents; her living, breathing, non-hallucination parents. It was overwhelming for the red head. So overwhelming, she didn't realize she was crying until Josie grabbed her hand. The contact shocked Hope, sending her crashing back into reality. Jack flinched at the sight of them touching and looked away.

"Jack," Klaus said, dragging the brunette out of her dark thoughts. "Do you happen to know where there might be some clothes?"

"I'll be right back," Jack replied before disappearing.

"Dad, she shouldn't be doing anything," Hope spoke, removing her hand from Josie's.

"She's fine," Klaus replied. "She's stronger than you're giving her credit for."

"She was hanging from chains dying about ten minutes ago." And there went the happy moment. Hope was pissed.

"Love, I promise she's as okay as she can be." The original hybrid looked at his daughter with a mixture of hurt and sternness. "None of us have time to rest right now. Jack knows that. As soon as we get home, I'll personally lock her in a room."

"I understand that Dad, but remember what we talked about?"

Klaus sighed, agitated. "Fine. I won't ask the runt to do anything else."

"Wow," Hayley cut in, her smile beaming. "Is the great Klaus Mikaelson being redirected by his daughter?"

"Now is not the time," Klaus gritted out.

"I can't believe you're here," Hope said to her mother. It was surreal. And yet, it felt like she had never missed a moment with her mother.

"I'm never leaving you again," Hayley whispered, tears gleaming in her eyes.

"Excuse me," Jack said from behind Hope. "I think these are your size." The brunette offered the clothing to Hayley, looking down at the ground.

The crescent alpha cocked her eyebrow. "Not used to nakedness?" she teased the brunette.

"I don't think it's respectful to look at anyone naked unless they want you to," Jack replied, taking a step back. "I've got clothes for the rest of them outside. I'll see you all in a bit." The brunette went to leave and was stopped by a gentle hand circling her wrist.

"You don't have to go," Hope uttered in a pleading voice.

"Yes, I do," the brunette said as she looked up into blue orbs. "Your mother is back from the dead and right next to you. I think some alone time is called for."

Hope was torn, over stimulated emotionally and exhausted. She wanted to be alone with her mother. Wanted to speak with the woman for as long as possible. But she also wanted Jack close. The brunette didn't have a clue what Hope had gone through searching for her. "Please don't go far," Hope uttered.

Jack wore a small smile. "Where am I going to go? I'm trapped in a laboratory." The brunette was trying to make light of the situation and it didn't work. Hope's mind went into overdrive thinking about all the things that could have happened in the building.

"Alright everybody, help me drag these loafs out of here," Klaus said to the crowd of on lookers. He grabbed Elijah and smiled at his daughter. "Not you," he said to Jack, stopping her from picking up Marcel. "I'll come back for him. Go rest." Jack looked at her sire with complete shock. Klaus had never been cruel or mean to her, but he never stopped her from contributing or helping with anything. It was the opposite. He used to find things for her to do and never let her quit. He claimed it built character. "Go," the original hybrid repeated. The brunette walked out looking confused and bothered. "Don't get too into it. As soon as we get the rest of them up, we're getting the hell out of here."

After about an hour, the other five prisoners woke up. It took a few minutes for them to remember who everyone was. Jack took her time telling the group everything she knew. The Mikaelson's and Marcel became reacquainted with each other. Hugs were shared, tears were shed, jokes were made. The reunion was about as joyful as it could be in the situation.

Jack had found blood, food and water while the reunion had taken place. She passed out supplies and avoided Hope at all costs. It pissed the red head off. When the brunette finally made her way over to the tribrid, she was cold. Jack gave food and water to Lizzie and Josie and handed some to the red head last. The brunette disappeared back into the supply room she had found. After a quick contemplation, Hope sought the brunette out. She walked across the giant lab and through the threshold of the supply room. Jack was sitting in a corner facing the wall. The tribrid was a few feet away when the brunette spoke up.

"Everything alright?" Jack asked, still facing away from the red head.

"What's wrong?" Hope sat down across from the brunette, swallowing hard when she saw the remnants of tears on Jack's face.

"Oh, nothing," the brunette tried to joke.

"Stop." The tribrid's voice was stern but still held tenderness.

"I don't want to talk about it right now, Hope."

"Okay."

Hope stayed put, continuing to stare at the brunette. The woman looked horrible. Jack's hair was greasy and down to her shoulders. Her eyes had dark bags underneath them, cheeks sunken in. Her skin was sickly white and dry. The brunette's body looked weak and frail. It was taking all of Hope's strength not to sob. The red head's heart was breaking at how defeated and empty Jack looked. She wanted to fix it. To comfort the brunette. Chase it all away like a bad dream. And she knew she couldn't.

"Please go." Jack said it so low that Hope almost didn't hear it.

"No."

The brunette finally looked at the tribrid. Her eyes held agony. "I don't want you to see me like this."

"I'm not leaving you." Hope's voice was determined.

"I don't want you here," Jack pushed.

"I don't care."

"Go!" The brunette shouted.

"No." Hope got on her knees and shuffled closer to the woman. The red head leaned forward, slowly wrapping her arms around the trembling brunette.

"Don't touch me," Jack bit out, her face contorted.

Hope tentatively pulled the brunette in close and held the woman tight. A sob escaped Jack's mouth and she grabbed Hope's shoulders, clinging to her. The tribrid wrested her chin on the brunette's head and bit her lip hard so she wouldn't cry. Her heart was crumbling. "Let go," Hope croaked out. That was all it took. Jack became a sobbing mess.

"Our daughter's in love?" Hayley asked as she leaned against a wall next to the original hybrid.

"I believe she is." Klaus responded with a smirk.

"How long has it been since… I've been gone." The crescent alpha cringed.

"Over two decades."

"That's a lot of missed birthdays and milestones." Hayley's face turned remorseful.

"Everything we did was for her. It's alright." Klaus wrapped his arm around the crescent alpha's shoulder. "We're here now."

"Since when did you become so optimistic?"

"Since I watched our daughter for years until I was magically brought back to life."

"You stayed with her?" Hayley was shocked. "How?"

"I chose to. I can't explain how. It just happened."

"If I had known I could do that-"

"I wouldn't have let you," Klaus interrupted her. "It's agonizing. It was like watching a film of the person you hold dearest and never being able to do anything to help."

"I still would have."

"I know." The original hybrid smiled warmly at Hayley. "I hope it will comfort you to know that she's had so much love in her life. That's all that matters. She's alive and she's loved."

"You should have died a long time ago," the crescent alpha said cheekily. "I like you better this way."

"Blame our daughter."

"You're becoming the man I always saw glimpses of," Hayley complimented. "Everything about you feels and seems different."

"I wouldn't go that far. I'm still an evil bastard." The two laughed at the comment.

"Where did Hope go?" Hayley asked after scanning the room.

"She followed Jack in there," Klaus pointed to the supply room.

"Are they together?"

"They will be, I think. Jack was taken a few years ago. We came here to rescue her. Got lucky finding the lot of you here."

"She's been here for years?" Hayley looked horrified.

"What?"

"Klaus… I was woken up once after they resurrected me. They injected me with something, and it was excruciating. And I don't think I've been here that long. If she's been here for years…"

"She looks like shit." Klaus admitted, hiding the pity her felt. "I'm sure she's been through hell." He paused. "Hope went through hell." Hayley's eyebrow cocked and Klaus continued. "In all the years I've been watching her, I've never seen her so heartbroken over a lover. She barely slept. When she did, she had nightmares. She's been so angry and hurt. She learned to live with it, like we all do. But seeing her like that… it made me want to kill everyone. I could feel her broken heart, Hayley. I could sense her turmoil."

"You're a good father, Klaus." The crescent wolf squeezed the Mikaelson's hand reassuringly. "You walked through it with her and she's going to be alright. People can live without their loved ones. Life can still be enjoyable. Our daughter has a chance right now. She's got Jack. She has us again. If there's a God, It's helping us out right now."

"What about you and Elijah?" Klaus asked as he nodded toward his brother who had been staring at them.

"I love Elijah," Hayley admitted. "I always will. But I don't think that will ever happen."

"True love conquers all." The romantic in Klaus was shinning.

Hayley laughed. "You know, I always found it a bit weird that you encouraged me to be with your brother when you're the father of my child."

"That's because you're still holding on to human sentiments," the original hybrid said smugly. "Besides, you and I would have never worked. The sex was decent. But we had nothing else. We were brought together for one reason; Hope."

"Decent?" The crescent wolf punched Klaus' arm.

"Yeah, love, you're alright." He teased.

"They're coming back!" Lizzie shouted, gaining everyone's attention.

"You get Hope and Jack," Klaus said to Hayley. She nodded and vanished.

When Hayley entered the storage room, she was met with the sight of her daughter holding and soothing a sobbing Jack. "I'm sorry to interrupt," the crescent alpha spoke up, "but we have to get out of her." Hope looked at her mother and nodded. She whispered into the brunette's ear and helped the broken woman up. The three made it outside of the room and were stopped by Rebekah and Freya.

"This way," Freya directed. The group made it to the center of the lab, meeting the rest of the supernaturals. Initiative soldiers were barreling down the hallway, stopped from entering the room by the barrier spell. "We're going to need everyone's magic and power!" Freya shouted. "Hold on tight to one another and focus your energy to me." The small army connected through linking hands and arms placed on shoulders. Freya closed her eyes and began chanting, the other witches following her lead. A wave of energy began pulsing around them and coating each body within the circle.

Hope looked out to the hallway and saw Davina making her way toward the barrier. The brunette witch placed her hand out and began a chant of her own. The barrier crumbled, allowing the soldiers in the room. Some wolves and vampires lunged forward, leaving the circle of energy. Hope tried to stop them but was held back by her father. The red head looked furious.

"They know what they're doing," Klaus said.

The werewolves and vampires fought the soldiers, keeping them from reaching the rest of the supernaturals. The people in the circle began to disappear, one by one. Hope stared helplessly as she watched her friends fight. Her heart twinged watching them sacrifice themselves to save the rest. The red head went to move again, and Jack squeezed her hand. The tribrid looked into eyes begging her to stay put. She stayed, not being able to deny the brunette.

The Initiative's supernaturals entered the room and began to level the playing field. One by one, Hope's friends were cut down by creatures that had been so mutated they were unrecognizable. Things that looked like werewolves, double the size and standing on two legs with faces closer to human features. Vampires with white skin and blood red eyes, claws where fingernails use to be, every tooth sharpened to a point. More of the red head's friends left the circle to hold off the creatures. Hope finally snapped and went to move but was kept in place by her father. She screamed before vanishing.

"Why!?" Hope yelled at her father, escaping the man's hold. "Why would you stop me?!"

"Hope, calm down," Klaus said calmly.

"NO!" She glared at her father. "I could have saved them!"

"No, you couldn't have," Jack said, leaning on a wooden table, not able to stand on her own. Hope swallowed hard as she took the brunette's fragile state in. "They were just the beginning. Those things are pawns to them. If we had managed to kill them something worse would have come." Jack clenched her stomach. The red head walked over to her, helping the brunette steady herself. Jack looked into Hope's pain filled eyes with sympathy. "I know your heart is breaking. Those were your friends. But we couldn't have won, not in the condition all of us are in."

"You don't know that for sure," the tribrid combatted.

"Yes, I do." Jack's words came out exhausted.

"How?! How would you know that?!" Hope raised her voice, losing her temper. She took a step back from the brunette but continued to help hold the woman up. "You were locked up the entire time, right?! How the hell would you know we couldn't save them?!" Hurt spread across Jack's face and the tribrid regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. The brunette nudged her away. "Jack. Jack, I'm sor-"

"How would I know?" the brunette's question came out spitefully. "Sure, Hope, I was kept in a cage or chained up most of the time. But I was moved around in that building. Experimented on with other people. I _saw_ what they were turned into and what they're capable of." Hope reached out for Jack's hand and the brunette took a step back. "You have_ no_ Idea what I've seen and been forced to do."

"Jack, I'm sorry. I'm upset and I shouldn't have said any-"

"That makes it better, right?" the brunette interrupted Hope once more, hostility now in her voice. "You say whatever you feel like and then you apologize, and that makes it all okay?" Jack's body began to shake. "There's monsters in that place. Real monsters. Things from nightmares." The brunette's eyes went black, gold and white iris' appearing. Her fangs came out with a growl and every major vein in her body was traced with black lines on her pale skin. Her face contorted, jaw and nose extended, eyes became narrow. She grew a few feet in height, her limbs extended, and muscles bulged. Hope couldn't hide her expression; shock mixed with terror. "Take a good look." The brunette's voice was deep and gravely, barely recognizable. "I'm nothing compared to the other things they've made. So No, Hope, we wouldn't have won." A loud growl of pain escaped Jack's mouth as she returned to her natural state. Leaning on the table once more, the brunette looked up at Klaus. "Bed?"

The original hybrid walked over to Jack and put her arm over his shoulders to help her walk. "You're bathing first. You smell disgusting." Jack sighed as she walked off with Klaus, avoiding keeping Hope out of her line of sight.


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey," Hayley said to her daughter as she took a seat next to her. "How are you feeling today?"

Hope was slumped over her knees, sitting on a stairwell. Her hands were holding up her face, elbows resting on her knees. "She still won't talk to me.

"Give it time."

"It's been a month," the red head protested. "She hates me."

"She doesn't hate you." Hayley put her arm across her daughter's shoulders and squeezed comfortingly.

"She won't let me be there for her. She won't even talk to me."

"Just keep giving her space. If she wants to talk, she'll ask for you."

"I know!" Hope let out in an exasperated tone. "I understand it most days. There's so much going on that's more important than how I'm feeling. I get it. Today is one of those days it bothers me. There's nothing to distract me."

Hayley kissed the top of her daughter's head. "How you feel is always important, especially to me."

"You're my mom, you have to say things like that."

The crescent alpha laughed at her daughter's whiny voice. "I don't, actually. I'm being honest. Slow days are the worst when it comes to matters of the heart."

"No one will train with me either." Hope continued to whine.

"That's because you've beaten them all up." Hayley laughed again.

"I just want to see her, mom." The red head's voice got low. "We don't have to talk. I just want to see that she's alright with my own eyes."

"Sweetheart, she won't see anyone but Klaus and Marcel."

"What's with that, by the way?" Hope threw her hands up in the air in frustration.

"They share a bond."

"That's bullshit."

"No, Hope, it's not." She grabbed her daughter's hands and forced Hope to look at her. "They've all been through similar trauma. They've all done horrific things. In my experience, it's natural to seek out people like yourself when tragic things happen." The red head sighed and rolled her eyes. "I've done it. You've done it. We shut people we love out because we're afraid of what they'll see."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Hayley hesitated, trying to decide what she wanted to say. "From my point of view, your father, Marcel and Jack all have viewed themselves as monsters. They all still think they are to some degree. It's easy for Jack to let them into her darkness because they all share the same darkness." She tucked a stray hair behind her daughter's ear. "You've been through a lot Hope. You've been to fucking hell and back. Jack knows that. But she cares about you and how you see her. She's afraid."

"That's stupid." Hayley gave her daughter a knowing look. "I know," Hope sighed, defeated. "I just… I want her to know that I care. I want to help her, to take care of her. I want to be there for her. Mom, I-" a tear slid down the red head's cheek.

"Hi," a weak voice spoke behind Hayley and Hope.

The red head looked up into hazel eyes and she gasped. She swallowed hard and wiped at her face before replying. "Hi."

Hayley looked between her the women and stood up, clearing her throat. "I'm happy to see you walking around, Jack."

"Klaus made me," the brunette said with distain.

"That man surprises me more every day," the crescent alpha chuckled. "Making sure people rest and eat. Pushing everyone but not past their limits. He hasn't murdered anyone for fun. What have you done to your father, Hope?" Hayley smiled widely. "I'm going to go check in with Freya. I'll see you two later." She planted another kiss on her daughter's head before walking away.

There was a pregnant silence between the two women. Jack was biting her lip and looking anywhere but at Hope. The tribrid was staring, not being able to help herself. "What are you up to?" Hope finally asked.

"I was instructed by your asshole of a father to go outside for a walk," she said in an agitated voice.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Hope's voice was timid and unsure.

There was another long silence. The red head was about to retract her question. "I would like that," Jack replied with a warm smile.

The two women walked slowly down the streets of New Orleans. It was early in the day. The sun had just finished rising, cascading bright rays down on the cold concrete sidewalks. Shops were opening and people were starting to clamor onto the streets. Smooth Jazz was heard in the distance as the women rounded a corner, walking down an ally. Eventually, they sat on a bench in a small park. Jack was playing with her fingers in her lap, intently staring at them. Hope was taking the brunette in. It was a warm summer morning, bound to get hotter, but Jack wore a long-sleeved shirt and pants. The brunette looked better. She had gained weight, her skin had color. Her hair was freshly cut and full again. The red head's eyes paused when she noticed a light scar that started above the brunette's left eyebrow, went down in a straight line, and ended in the middle of her cheek. It gave Hope more questions; immortals didn't scar.

"I apologize for how I behaved the last time I saw you," Jack broke the silence. "I got angry and self-pitying. I lost my temper."

"It's okay," Hope breathed.

The brunette looked at the tribrid with sorrowful eyes. "No, it not, Hope. I shifted with the intent of scaring and intimidating you. I wanted you to feel bad. It's _not_ okay."

The red head grabbed Jack's hand. "I understand. It hurt my feelings and I was upset. But it's okay. I can't imagine what you went through. I took my feelings out on you and you fired back. It happens."

"It doesn't make it right."

"I'm not saying it's right." Hope smiled tenderly. "I'm saying I get it and I forgive you." The red head paused and wet her dry lips. "Can you forgive me for how I treated you? I wasn't the most considerate person."

"I do forgive you, Hope. I did the same night it happened."

"Then why…" the tribrid trailed off, uncertain in what she wanted to say.

"Ask me anything and I'll answer," Jack said with a small smile as she gently squeezed Hope's hand.

"Why wouldn't you let me see you?" The red head couldn't hide the hurt in her eyes.

"I didn't think you would understand."

"Understand what?"

"Where my head was at. Where it's still kind of at." Jack took a deep breath before continuing. "Hope, I… I was forced to do things I never thought I could. And it brought me to a place of _wanting_ to do horrible things. All I wanted was to die and hurt other people. My head is still scattered and fucked up, but it was so… so bad. I know your father understands that. I know Marcel does too." Jack's gaze faltered for a few moments. She took another deep breath and stared into blue orbs. "I just wanted everyone to suffer like I was suffering. And to be honest, taking it out on them only made me feel a little bad, because I know they didn't take it personally."

"I'm a big girl," Hope defended, "I can handle it. I could have handled it."

"You don't know what it's like-"

"I'm so sick of hearing that," the red head interrupted. "Just because I've never slaughtered a village or been abused by my parents, you all think I don't understand. I know what it's like to be in a dark place. I know what it's like to do things I never thought I could. I've enjoyed killing people," Hope admitted in a pained voice. "I've killed innocents as a wolf when I've lost control. I've harmed people I love and betrayed them. I lost my family." The tribrid paused to collect herself. She grabbed the brunette's other hand. "Please, let me make up my own mind. Let me decide what I can and can't handle. My whole life, people have been trying to decide what I should do and what's best for me. I need you to trust me. I need you to trust that I'm capable of making decisions and knowing my limits. Please."

"Alright," Jack nodded her head slowly. "I will respect you and your decisions. Unless I need time to myself, I'll communicate with you."

Hope beamed. "Thank you." The brunette's eyes drifted down to Hope's lips and it didn't go unnoticed. The tribrid mimicked the action, feeling that pull. Gravity. Hope leaned her head in and stopped a breath away, gauging the woman in front of her. Jack was lightly panting, lips parted, her eyes focused on red lips. But there was hesitation in the brunette's eyes. "What is it?" Hope asked.

"I want to kiss you," Jack breathed.

The red head smirked. "So why don't you?"

The brunette swallowed hard. "I don't think it's a good idea. My head is all over the place and-"

Jack was cut off by plump lips tenderly meeting her own. She temporarily froze in shock before closing her eyes and sinking into the kiss. Hope brought a hand up to the brunette's cheek and gently rested it on warm skin. It was innocent and gentle. The red head planted two more light kisses on Jack's lips before pulling away far enough to see the brunette's face.

"I'm going to tell you something and I need those pretty lips of yours to stay shut," Hope said with a smirk. Jack nodded in agreement, still high off their kiss. "I want you." The brunette inhaled sharply at the statement. "I want you in every way. I've wanted you since we met. I still barely know you. But it also feels like I know every piece of you. I can't describe how it felt when they took you…" the red head trailed off. She shook the pain away and continued. "I've fought with all I have to find you. Yes, The Initiative needs to be stopped, and that's one reason I showed up in that lab. But it was mainly because of you. I picked that lab because I found out _you_ were there. I will always fight for you. I will always be here. If you're not ready for something serious, that's okay." Hope leaned her forehead against Jack's and soothingly moved her thumb across the brunette's cheek. "If you need a friend, that's what I'll be. If you want more, I'll give it. I'm here, either way. You can't get rid of me." Jack chuckled. "But I am going to warn you, if you keep looking at me like that," the red head looked into hazel eyes that reflected fondness and desire, "I'm going to keep kissing you."

"You promise?" Jack grinned.

"Wow," Hope's eyebrow cocked. "You're not fighting me. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy about it," the tribrid placed another soft kiss on the brunette's lips. "But I am surprised."

"I just told you I would respect you and your decisions," Jack replied with a bright smile. "And I… I want to be with you. I just want to be slow about it."

"We'll get there," the red head whispered before stealing another kiss.

"Klaus!" Elijah shouted.

"What?!" the original hybrid shouted back as he appeared in his older brother's room.

"Where's Hope?"

"I'm not her keeper, Elijah. She's grown." The older Mikaelson gave his brother a knowing look through a mirror as he straightened his tie. Klaus sighed. "She's at the park with Jack."

"Who do you have watching her?" Elijah laughed.

"That's none of your concern," the original hybrid chided as he made himself comfortable in his brother's lounge chair. "Why do you want her?"

"We're supposed to go to the opera tonight. I wanted to make sure she still wanted to go."

"I wasn't invited?" Klaus feigned hurt.

"It's bonding time with my niece. She's allowing me to get to know her and I don't need you ruining it."

"What play?"

"The Phantom of the Opera."

"Aw, I love that one!"

"I know you do, brother. You're the Phantom," Elijah teased.

"I'm going," Klaus stated as he played with a random object.

"You weren't invited."

"I'm going on my own. You two do whatever you want."

"Dad, come with us," Hope interrupted. "You and I can do something else together, Uncle Elijah. We both know dad will just end up crashing the party anyway."

Klaus wore a shit-eating grin. "Smart girl."

"We might as well invite the whole family then," Elijah sighed.

"Hello, Jack!" the younger brother greeted the brunette as she walked into the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," the woman begrudgingly admitted.

"I love it when I'm right," Klaus cooed.

"What time are we leaving?" Hope asked her uncle.

"Six o'clock," Elijah answered with a smile.

"I'll be ready. I'll let everyone else know too."

"Splendid!" the original hybrid exclaimed as he rose from his seat. "Jack, we need to go get you something nice to wear."

The brunette looked at the man in shock. "I'm going?"

"You're family," Klaus reached the woman and wrapped his arm around her. "It's a family affair."

"Really, it's alright, I don't have to-"

"You're not going to disappoint my dear daughter, are you?"

"Oh, you're such a dick," Jack mumbled. Hope smirked and withheld a laugh at the display.

"That I am," the younger brother agreed smugly.

"I hate you," the brunette sighed, rolling her eyes. "I hate dressing up."

"That's what makes it so much fun," Klaus teased.

"I'm going to go tell everyone else," Hope said as she began walking out of the room. "You three play nice."

Klaus waited a few moments before speaking again. "What do you think, Elijah? Can we clean up the pup?"

"We can try," Elijah smirked as he walked closer to the pair and pinched the brunette's cheek.

"I hate both of you," Jack glared.

Hope waited outside of the theater nervously. The woman had only dressed up a handful of times in her life. Her Aunt Rebekah picked out a black dress that clung to the curves of Hope's body. It covered most of the red head's cleavage and stopped mid-thigh, but it was still more skin than she was used to showing. The dress revealed a fair amount of her back as well. Rebekah had given Hope a red shawl to cover up a bit, but the tribrid still felt exposed. She fiddled with the red fabric and paced back and forth in front of her mother and two aunts.

"Calm down, love," Rebekah said to her niece. "You look gorgeous."

"I can't believe I agreed to wear this thing," Hope sighed out.

"You look hot," Freya commented. "Jack's gonna go crazy."

"Why do you think this is about Jack?" the red head asked defensively. She sighed again. It was about Jack. Hope would be a little nervous wearing the dress in general, but she wouldn't be near panicking if Jack wasn't joining them.

"She's so cute," Rebekah commented. "New love is the best kind."

"Yeah, because it goes to shit after a few months," Hayley joked, gaining a glare from her daughter. The crescent alpha laughed. "They're right, sweetie. You look beautiful."

"Why do I go anywhere with you guys?" Hope stopped pacing and stared down her family.

"Because you love us," Hayley said.

"And you can't get rid of us," Rebekah chimed on.

"And we love you," Freya added.

"Hello, my beauties," Klaus said, startling his daughter.

Hope quickly turned and inhaled sharply when her blue orbs met hazel. The brunette was dressed in a tight-fitting suite that flattered her figure but didn't give everything away. Gray tight pants, a gray vest and a tight buttoned black shirt with a black and pink stripped tie that made Hope smile. The red head had always found a woman wearing a fitting suite enticing. Something about a feminine creature wearing a masculine outfit set the tribrid's skin on fire. Hope looked the brunette up and down a few times. She stopped breathing when her eyes met Jack's again. The brunette's gaze was searing, filled with desire. It made Hope shiver and ache.

"She cleans up nice, huh," Klaus said as he slapped Jack on the back, knocking the brunette out of her thoughts.

"Ouch," Jack said as she gawked at the original hybrid.

"It was difficult, of course. It was like trying to get a dog into a Halloween costume."

"Dad," Hope warned.

"Klaus leave the poor girl alone," Marcel said as he made his way over to Rebekah, greeting his wife with a kiss.

"Yes, brother, we've tortured her enough today," Elijah added as he took Freya's arm.

"Keep your hands to yourself," Klaus said with a warning look to Jack.

"Dad!" the red head scolded.

"It's my fatherly right," the original hybrid smirked as he walked up to Hayley, connecting his arm with hers.

Jack shook off the constant monologue and approached Hope. She smiled adoringly at the tribrid. "You're stunning," she whispered.

Hope's cheeks burned and butterflies took flight in her stomach. "Thank you," she squeaked out. The red head cleared her throat, a bit embarrassed. "You're not so bad yourself," she teased.

"Shall we?" the brunette asked as she offered her arm to Hope. The tribrid couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her lips. She hooked her arm around Jack's and lightly pulled the woman closer, leaning her side into the brunette. Jack's heart soared at the contact.

It was nearing the end of the show and Hope couldn't wait to leave. She loved The Phantom of the Opera, but she couldn't concentrate. The red head's eyes wandered to Jack throughout the entirety of show. The tribrid's body was insane with want. The brunette was too enticing to her. Jack had rolled up her sleeves halfway through the play, and the combination of her revealed tattoos with her outfit had caused Hope to clench her thighs together. She had been singing under her breathe the entire time. The tribrid found it so endearing, it made her heart swoon. She watched as the brunette's eyes would light up with excitement at certain parts, and how a grin would spread across her pink lips at others. And how Jack had clenched her hands around the arms of her chair and held her breath when "The Point of No Return" had started made the red head smile and fill with affection. When the show finally ended, tears were in the brunette's eyes. Hope wanted all of the brunette right there.

Jack had slid her hand into to Hope's at some point on their walk home, causing the red head's heart to explode. The pair had walked slowly behind the rest of the group, sharing commentary about the play. Jack kept looking at Hope like she was something to be cherished, and hung onto every word the tribrid spoke, even though she didn't have much to say. The way the brunette would lightly graze her shoulder into the red head's skin, or how she drew figure eight's on the back of Hope's hand as she held it, cracked something open inside the young Mikaelson. Everything scared the hell out of Hope and made her want the brunette more. They went their separate ways when they made it back to the Mikaelson estate. Jack walked her date to her room and placed a light kiss on her cheek as they parted. The red head sighed when she entered her bedroom, leaning against her door for a few minutes. She was full of contentment and disappointment; it threw her off.

As the tribrid changed her clothes, her mind raced. All she wanted to do was barge into Jack's room, rip the brunette's clothes off and have her way with her. She had been driven crazy all night by the brunette just being herself. Hope's body was screaming for relief and her heart was begging for something she didn't really understand. The red head groaned loudly in frustration as she slid her shorts on. "Fuck," she muttered, pulling an old shirt over her head. She made her way to the bathroom and freshened up, fighting with herself the entire time. When the tribrid finally crawled into bed she huffed loudly and banged her head into the pillow underneath.

The ache in her core was unbearable. She was on the borderline of insanity from how she was craving the brunette. Hope laid in darkness for what seemed like hours, not being able to fall asleep. She tossed and turned several times until she ended up on her back once more. The red head repositioned her body, placing one hand on her lower stomach. After a few moments, and idea lit up in her mind, rapidly overpowering all other thoughts. It was wrong. She shouldn't do it. But with the flick of her hand she cast a spell. No one would be able to hear anything in her room, except for Jack. The red head cast another spell, weakening the sound barrier between her and the brunette's bedroom. Hope smiled almost wickedly.

The tribrid began to trail her fingertips lightly up and down her stomach, up to her breasts and back down to the hem of her shorts. Her other hand went to her breast, pinching and rolling a hard nipple. In Hope's mind, it was Jack touching her. She imagined the brunette kissing her deeply and leaving no piece of skin untouched. That look in Jack's eyes early, full of lust. Hope moaned. Her legs parted of their own accord and within seconds her finger was skimming the entrance of her slick folds.

Jack had almost fallen asleep when she heard a deep moan come through the wall. Her eyes opened wide and she took a deep breath. On the other side of the concrete and wood, Hope was panting and groaning. The brunette strained her ears, momentarily wondering jealously if someone else was in the red head's room. But all she heard was Hope touching herself. Her fears vanished and were replaced by an intense wave of heat rushing to her core. "Oh, God," Jack groaned. The brunette clenched her fists and tried to redirect her attention. An almost consuming possessiveness was growing inside of her, almost violently demanding to go and claim the red head. When she heard the tribrid release a dirty moan, her eyes turned. Jack tried her best to take deep breaths and calm down, it almost worked; until Hope called out the brunette's name. She growled loudly in response and slipped her hand in her sweatpants, starting to circle around her clit.

Hope was lost in the fantasy in her head; Jack biting and sucking her neck, clawing at her body and holding her close, pumping in and out of her. The red head gasped as she put a second finger inside of herself, reaching for her headboard and gripping it tight. Then she heard it; Jack groaning out Hope's name like the red head belonged to her. It sent a small tremor through the tribrid's body. She gripped the bed frame so tightly it began to splinter. The red head picked up her pace, rolling her hips into her own hand, all concentration on her release and the panting and small moans coming from the other side of the wall. "Jack," the tribrid moaned, earning a growl from the other side of the wall. Hope was losing control, so close and teetering on the edge, breathless and desperate. She heard the brunette cry out her name and she saw stars, almost screaming as she tumbled over the edge. Hope fell asleep high on her orgasm and lost in the sound of Jack's voice.

It was almost noon. Jack had been awake since six and she hadn't moved. Hope Mikaelson had purposely put on a show for her last night. The brunette puffed on her vape. She wasn't angry or upset. She wasn't bothered. She was extremely turned on, still. All she kept thinking about were the sounds the red head hade made, and the way Hope had called out her name. The brunette was afraid of leaving the pile of sheets she had tangled herself in. She groaned loudly and closed her eyes, trying to will the desire away. It didn't work. It never did. Hope was an unstoppable force meeting and immovable object. Everything about the red head was invigorating and overwhelming. She was jaw dropping and hypnotic. Jack had never looked at a woman and felt the need to break down and know every inch of someone's soul. She had never wanted to ravage a woman and lose herself in them. She longed to be drowned in all things Hope Mikaelson. And the brunette hearing the woman moaning her name spiked all her desires by a million. Jack puffed on her vape again and groaned loudly in frustration; if she moved a muscle, she'd pin the red head down and have her way with her. She couldn't leave.

Hope was sitting on a bar stool, staring at her half drank glass of orange juice. She had woken up late, gone for a run, showered and just finished breakfast. Jack was held up in her room again. It was making the tribrid question herself. What she had done the night before was impulsive and maybe crossed a line; but Jack sounded like she had thoroughly enjoyed herself. She wanted to check on the brunette. But she found herself staring.

"What's going on in here?" Freya asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Nothing," Hope sighed in defeat.

"Alright, tell me." She sat on the stool next to her niece.

"Is anyone else home?" the red head looked around the room, straining her ears to listen.

"Just me, you and sleeping beauty."

"Okay, so I did a thing last night," Hope blurted out. "I was um… masturbating… and I…" her face flushed deep red.

"Hope, we're both adults. I'm your Aunt, not your mom. Let it out."

"Okay," the red head took a breath. "I decided to open a channel between my room and Jack's last night…"

"While you were masturbating?"

"Yeah," Hope glanced away with embarrassment.

"Clever," Freya laughed.

"I mean, I thought it was. I got a good… response. But now she's held up in her room and I'm questioning it."

"I see."

A few minutes of silence passed before Hope spoke again. "You've got nothing for me?"

"I've never been in the situation you're in."

Hope sunk her head between her arms on that rested on the countertop, sighing in defeat. "What if I ruined it," she mumbled.

"I doubt that," Freya chuckled. "I'm surprised I didn't hear the two of you going at it all night with how you were looking at each other."

"What?" the young Mikaelson was confused, her head popping back up.

"Really?" The blonde was in disbelief. "Jack was staring at you the entire night."

"I would have noticed if she was. I was staring at her."

"Hope, you guys were sitting in front of me. Every time you looked away, she looked at you. It was better than the opera."

"Oh my God," the tribrid muttered as she placed her hand on her forehead, a bit embarrassed.

"Girl, she gave you all the looks," the blonde waved her hand. "Everything from 'I want to fuck you senseless' to 'I'm in love with you.' It was pretty intense. I had to keep Elijah from strangling her at one point."

"Jesus," the tribrid muttered. "You noticing is mortifying enough. But Uncle Elijah."

"Everyone saw a bit of something. Elijah and I saw most because we were right behind you."

"I wanna die," Hope sighed dramatically.

"My point is that I don't think you ruined anything."

"Then why is she hiding?"

"How do you know she's not sleeping?"

The tribrid's cheeks tinted pink. "I may have… creeped by her room a few times and listened for movement. She's definitely awake."

"You're your father's child, alright," Freya teased.

"Uhhh!" Hope shouted in frustration. "What do I do?"

"You can do nothing and see what happens. Or you can go talk to her." The blonde stood up and began walking out of the kitchen.

"That's it?!"

"Yup!"

Jack had slowly risen from her bed to shower and get ready for her day. She decided she would leave, go walk and explore the city that had captivated her as a child. The brunette had just finished putting her underwear on when a flustered red head barged into her room, slamming the door on her way in. Hope made it halfway into the room when she finally looked up and found Jack half naked. Adrenaline. Desire. Lust. Hunger. It went off inside of the tribrid like a nuclear bomb, desolating any shyness or reserve.

Hope lunged forward and grabbed the brunette, slamming Jack into the wall. She trembled under the red head's smoldering gaze and gasped from her fiery touch. Hope's eyes were gold and full of passion, and it cause Jack's breathe to catch in her throat. Blue orbs bored into hazel ones, searching and smug. Jack was pinned. The tribrid had the brunette's arms held above her head in a tight grip, her other hand was on Jack's waist, keeping her in place. Their bodies were pushed together tightly, lips millimeters apart. Eyes blow with ravishing looks. Jack was defenseless. The brunette had never been one to be dominated in a situation like this, but everything with Hope was different. She wanted the red head to take her in anyway she pleased.

Hope was settled between Jack's legs and it was taking everything she had to not grind against the brunette. The throbbing between her legs was almost painful. She gulped and slightly shook her head, trying to regain some sort of control. The red head found the strength to let go of the woman she desired and took a few steps back; she regretted it. In front of her was a panting Jack with lidded eyes, half naked and dripping with need. The tribrid's eyes feasted on the brunette's skin, new toned muscles and tattoos on display. Hope's heart panged momentarily noticing the scars that littered Jack's flesh. It made the red head want to lovingly touch and kiss every inch of the woman's skin. The tribrid let out a light laugh and squeezed her eyes shut. "Boy shorts?" she questioned teasingly, trying to distract herself. "I always thought you'd be more of a boxer or boxer briefs type."

"You don't like them?" Jack's voice came out low and sultry. Hope's out shot open and she whimpered. The brunette was still leaning against the wall, her head slightly cocked. Her lips held a playful smirk and one of her hands was now playing with the hem of her underwear. Jack bit her lip, satisfied with Hope's speechlessness. "Hmmm?" the brunette hummed, waiting for an answer.

The tribrid cleared her throat loudly. Stunned. She couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. All she could do was devour the brunette with her eyes and tremble. Hope had seen many sides to Jack, but not this one; the sexy, playful, confident seductress. The red head's skin was on fire. Her core was throbbing intensely. She was soaked. She growled as her eyes lit up brighter, her inner wolf itching to come out. "I never said that," she whispered. Her eyes were glued to strong, long fingers that slid back and forth on the cotton hem of Jack's shorts. "Just surprised."

The brunette licked her lips. "Good or bad surprise?"

The tribrid cleared her throat again. "You almost naked could never be a bad surprise."

"Is that so?" A coy smile appeared on Jack's lips. She began to trace her other hand up and down her stomach, barely touching her own skin.

"Jack," the red head warned as she felt her control waning, her voice gravely and low.

"Come here." Hope almost ran the two feet between them. The tribrid was stopped by a gentle hand on her stomach, a gasp leaving her lips.

"Don't touch me," Jack husked, grinning at the way Hope shivered in response. "You think it's fun to tease people?" She slowly dipped her hand into her underwear. The tribrid groaned and rested her hands on the wall, holding herself up. "Do you know how hard it is for me?" Jack asked as her hand receded and then slowly slid back under the cotton material. "I want you all the time." The brunette slid her free hand up the side of Hope's neck and into the red head's hair, pulling firmly. "Look at me." Hope's eyes snapped up and the intensity of her gaze caused Jack to falter in her movements for a moment. The tribrid licked her lips as a feral growl escaped her. The brunette guided the red head's face closer, stopping when they were a breath apart. She grazed her lips against Hope's and pulled back, staring into mesmerizing, glowing orbs. "All I want is you," Jack breathed hotly onto the tribrid's lips, earning a soft moan. "I dream about you." She grazed her lips against the red head's once more. "You consume my thoughts." She bit Hope's bottom lip and red head growled again. "I have this devastating need to tear you apart and make you _mine_." A deep, guttural moan escaped the tribrid's mouth. She moved closer to the brunette, as close as she could without making contact.

Jack slipped her hand into her slick folds, maintaining eye contact with Hope. She whimpered as she began to make circles around her clit. Hope had forgotten how to breathe. The red head's eyes kept moving from Jack's hand to her face. She could smell the woman's arousal, hear the movements of the brunette's hand as she played with herself. The tribrid went in for a kiss but was abruptly pulled back by the hand tangled in her hair. "No," Jack scolded.

"Jack," Hope whined. It surprised her. Hope Mikaelson didn't mine; not even in the bedroom. She was in control. But with Jack, she was defenseless. A whimpering, aching mess that internally begged for anything she could get from the brunette. The tribrid felt pathetic. All that power and she couldn't be anything other than putty in the brunette's hands. The feeling quickly disappeared. Jack tracing the red head's bottom lip with her tongue and moaning short circuited her brain.

"Look at me," the brunette demanded a second time. Hope looked into black eyes with bright gold and white iris' and gasped. The tribrid growled and her nails began to dig into the wall, splintering the wood. "Touch yourself."

The red head whimpered as she slipped inside her folds, never losing eye contact. "Fuck, Jack," she gasped before leaning her body in closer, causing their breasts to touch. Hope was a mess. Watching Jack fuck herself animalistically stare her down with ownership in her eyes was throttling her to the edge. She began to slow her pace, not wanting to cum too quickly.

"Don't you fucking dare," Jack commanded as she pulled on Hope's hair, as if she could read the tribrid's mind. It almost made the red head cum. The brunette pulled the tribrid in for a searing kiss, plunging her tongue inside of Hope's mouth. It was rough and needy, teeth and tongue's clashing for dominance. Jack sucked on the tribrid's tongue and pulled back to suck and bite on her lip, and the red head almost tumbled over the edge again.

"Fuck," Hope breathed as she pulled away, her eyes clamped shut. Her body was beginning to shake, she was so close, right there, teetering on the edge.

"Hope," the brunette cried. She pulled on the red head's hair again, demanding she open her eyes. The tribrid compiled and lost herself in that moment. The brunette was baring herself, vulnerable and demanding, full of lost and what seemed a lot like love. The red head was gone. "Hope," Jack uttered, her voice desperate yet commanding, "cum for me." The brunette growled and pulled Hope's head to the side, biting down into the soft flesh of the tribrid's neck. Hope screamed Jack's name as she buried her face into the woman's neck, crushed by the tidal wave or her orgasm, seeing white behind clenched eyelids, temporarily losing her hearing.

The young Mikaelson didn't know how long she had been on her high, but when she came down, she stretched out her body and realized she was in a bed. She opened her eyes and shot up, scared it had all been a dream. But when she looked around the room and saw where she was, a timid smile graced her lips. Jack was nowhere in sight. The tribrid frowned and panicked for a moment. But the sound of water running in the bathroom calmed her. Hope leaned back against the headboard and replayed what had just happened in her mind. Pink tinged her cheeks as a satisfied smirk graced her lips.

The bathroom door opened and out came Jack, a shy look on her face. The brunette sat down on the bed next to Hope and flinched when she saw the wound on the tribrid's neck. Her hand tentatively touched the bite mark. "I'm so-"

"I will kick your ass if an apology comes out of your mouth," Hope warned as she gently grabbed the brunette's wrist, a smile still on her lips.

"But I hurt y-"

"I don't remember feeling any pain," the tribrid placed a finger over Jack's lips as she spoke. After a moment, she began to trace the brunette's mouth with the pad of her thumb, causing the woman to gasp. "Where did that come from?" she asked in a teasing voice.

Jack's face burned and she averted her gaze. "It's your fault," she mumbled.

"Oh, really?" Hope was beaming; the brunette was adorable.

"Yeah, you're the one who pinned me to a wall."

The tribrid remained quiet until the brunette looked at her once more, her heart fluttering in her chest. Love. Hope was overflowing with love. Fuck. She pushed the fear aside. "I recall stepping away from you," she said, a smile still on her lips.

"Still your fault."

The red head cocked her eyebrow. "How so?"

"You set me off the moment you pinned me. I snapped."

"That's all it takes?" Hope teased with a mischievous look.

"Ha," Jack mocked. The brunette's eyes went to the tribrid's neck again. "Hope, you need to heal."

"What if I like it?" The red head moved closer. "What if I want to be able to look at it? As a reminder."

"Hope," the brunette pleaded.

"What will you trade me?"

"Trade you?" The extreme confusion on Jack's face made the tribrid giggle.

"I want to keep it. You want me to heal. If I heal, and get rid of it, what do I get?"

"What do you want?" Jack regretted her words instantly. The look the red head was giving her sent a small wave a fear through her bones.

"Relax," the tribrid teased as she nudged the brunette's shoulder. "I want a date."

"You don't need to bargain with me for a date. All you have to do is ask." The look on Jack's face was so sincere that it made Hope's heart explode.

"Alright. Friday night, eight o'clock."

"Today is Friday."

"I know."

"So today?" The brunette was perplexed.

"Yeah."

"You forgot it was Friday, didn't you?" she asked with a knowing look.

"Maybe," Hope bit her lip to hold in a laugh.

"How are you so cute?" Jack teased as she kissed the thumb that still lingered near her lips.

Hope was blushing now. She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Give me your blood."

"What?"

"So I can heal."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Seriously?"

"I shouldn't have even bit you. No one knows what I am now. I don't know if it could hurt you-"

"Stop," Hope interrupted, placing her finger on Jack's lips to shush her again. "Stop being such a pussy and give me your blood."

The brunette scoffed at the tribrid. She gently moved the red head's hand away. "I'm not being a pussy," she mumbled.

"You so are!" Hope nudged the brunette.

"Fine!" Jack huffed. She tilted her head to the side, offering her neck. "Here."

The tribrid's eyes lit up gold at the submission, her primal instincts taking over. '_Mine_' the voice in her head growled. She shook it off. She moved onto Jack's lap, straddling the brunette's waste. She began to kiss a trail down the woman's neck and wasted no time; she didn't want the brunette to change her mind. She sunk her teeth in and moaned at the taste. It was sweet and satisfying, borderline addictive. That surprised Hope. She wasn't a full tribrid yet. She'd never tasted blood and enjoyed it. Another thing to add to her list of questions and research. Jack gripped the red head's hips and whimpered, her eyes turning, regaining Hope's full attention.

"Hope!" Klaus shouted as he banged on the bedroom door.

The tribrid pulled away from the brunette's neck and let out an aggravated sigh. "I'll kill him," she muttered. She looked down into Jack's eyes and bit her lip. Her desire for the brunette had sky rocketed.

"Don't make me come in there!" the original hybrid almost screamed.

Hope went to get up and was stopped by Jack. The brunette tentatively wiped the remanence of blood off the red head's face. She smiled and gently moved the tribrid out of her lap. Hope got up and stomped to the door, opening it with a menacing glare. "Yes?"

"Good afternoon," Klaus bit out. "Having a good day?"

"I was," Hope replied with attitude.

The original hybrid stared his daughter down. "I've been looking for you."

"For what? Five seconds? You've been gone all day."

"Your friend is here with some information."

"Thank you. I'll be down in a minute."

Hope went to shut the door but was stopped by her father holding it open. "What were you and Jack doing?"

The red head gave her father a fake smile. "Talking about boys and having pillow fights. We were just about to paint each other's nails."

Klaus' eyes flinched. The man clearly wanted to say something, but he refrained. "See you in a minute."

Jack sighed loudly when the door finally shut, her face full of fear. "He's gonna kill me."

"He wouldn't kill you. Maybe torture you," Hope teased as she made her way back on the bed.

"Very funny," the brunette scowled.

"You could leave, quit while you're ahead. Escape the wrath of the great Klaus Mikaelson." The tribrid crawled back into Jack's lap, straddling the woman's waist once more. Hope's heart was pounding in her chest. She was joking, but what if the brunette did run away?

"Hey," Jack whispered as she gently placed her hands on the red head's face. She could see the racing thoughts in Hope's eyes. "No one could make me leave you. Not your father or anyone else." Hope smiled tenderly down at the brunette. She ran her finger's through Jack's hair and stared at the woman adoringly. "Get it out of your mind. I told you the first day I met you, I'm a parasite. You're stuck with me."

Hope chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Shut up," she whispered before capturing the brunette's lips.

Jack made her way downstairs before Hope did. The brunette walked into the dinning area of the house and found MG, Lizzie and Josie patiently waiting. She smiled at the three, taking a seat next to MG. She high-fived the vampire and proceeded to do their secret handshake. The Saltzman twins looked at them suspiciously.

"How long have you two been doing that?" Lizzie asked.

"Dude, we're best friends," Mg replied with a smirk.

"Sine when?" Josie piped in.

"Since we hacked an uncrackable security system," Jack said, high fiving the vampire again.

"Dorks," the blonde breathed.

"Hot dorks."

"Hell yeah." The vampire fist bumped the brunette this time.

Josie laughed at the two. "I like this, the two of them."

"I don't," Lizzie huffed. "It's twice the dorkness."

"I don't know, I think it's cute," Hope said from the large doorway, gaining everyone's attention. She walked over to Lizzie and took a seat, across from Jack. The tribrid and the brunette shared a look before Hope spoke again; it didn't go unnoticed by the blonde witch. "What have we got?"

"The Initiative has been sending out these creatures," Mg began, placing photos on the table. They looked like panthers standing on their hind legs, wearing clothes with bat like wings protruding from their shoulder blades. "They're magical to an extent. They cast spells to hide how they look and disguise themselves as human. We spotted some in the bayou. When I went out there, one ran right into me. It smelled me and then continued to run. Ran right past Josie too. We had to pry him off Scott; It almost killed him. They seem to only be interested in werewolves."

"Two followed me into the city," Josie started. "When I walked past the estate, they stopped. I cloaked myself with an invisibility spell. Followed them around. They were scoping the place out."

"There were a few outside when we came in a little bit ago."

"I say we set a trap," Jack said. "We don't know who they want. If it's wolves they're after it could be Hope, Klaus, Hayley or me. It could be all of us."

"How would we do that?" Hope asked.

"This building is protected by magic, right?" Hope nodded. "So we make it look like there's a tiny hole in our defenses. I'm sure this place has at least one secret tunnel."

"Several."

"We weaken the magic on one of them. They'll find it, get through it. We have the trap waiting."

"That could work."

"You're both crazy," Josie said. "This could turn into a massacre."

"They're hunting us already. Something is going to happen either way." A moment of silence passed. Hope gauged the room. "I say we do it."

"I agree," Lizzie said, gaining a shocked look from her sister. "Something is going to happen. At least this way, we've got the upper hand. And they'll be trapped. Surrounded by the Mikaelson family and us."

"I'm down," MG agreed. "How do we do this?"

"Throw a small party," Jack smirked. "Hope and her family, us, a few more people. Weaken the barrier to the most secluded tunnel and throw a party in about a week or so. They'll come. They won't be able to afford not to. We'll look like fish in a barrel."

"It needs to be more detailed," Josie said with a sigh.

"I agree. I'm good with rough outlines. Detail is not my forte. We can work together on it."

The brunette witch's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Okay."

"Anything anyone else has should be discussed."

"I'll get the family," Hope said as she rose from her seat. "We're going to need the experts of deception and war."


	5. Chapter 5

A few days later, Hope and Lizzie were setting up traps in the Mikaelson estate. They were mostly silent as they went from room to room, casting spells and placing magical objects in hidden spaces. When they reached Jack's room, the blonde noticed the tribrid's heated cheeks. "You wanna tell me what happened?" Lizzie asked with a knowing smirk.

"What are you talking about?" Hope replied in a monotone voice, avoiding looking the witch in the eyes.

"Did you two bang?"

"Really? Did we bang? Are we in middle school?"

"Answer the question."

"No, we did not bang," the red head answered in an agitated voice, mocking the witch.

"Something happened." Lizzie walked across the room to the tribrid and stepped in front of her. Hope's face said it all. "Spill."

"No." The tribrid tried to walk away, but the blonde held her in place. "I don't kiss and tell."

"Since when?"

"Since now."

"Oh, come on." The witch rolled her eyes. "Is she good?"

"We didn't have sex, Lizzie."

"You totally did something sexual though." The blonde grinned when Hope's face turned red. "Either she's shitty or you're in love with her."

"What?"

"The only time you've never told me about someone is if you were in love with them or if they were so bad you couldn't bring yourself to say it. You always tell me anyway, so you might as well now."

"She's fucking phenomenal," Hope let slip under her breath as memories flashed in her mind.

"I knew it!" Lizzie shouted in excitement.

"Oh my God," the red head sighed as she brought her hand to her forehead to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"You had sex."

"No."

"Good kisser?"

"The best," Hope admitted with a sigh. "Literally the best."

"Good at… whatever else you did? I don't know how lesbian foreplay works."

"First, it's similar. Damn. Use your imagination." The tribrid rolled her eyes. "Second, every look from her gives me chills. A look is enough."

"You're so whipped," a smug grin formed on Lizzie's face.

"Uhhhhh!" Hope groaned in frustration. "Can we please finish?"

"Sure, but this isn't over."

"It never is with you." The blonde smacked the tribrid in the arm.

"Is this how people your age throw a party?" Klaus looked around with a disgruntled face. "A DJ, cheap booze and food? Standards now adays are low, I see."

Hope rolled her eyes. "Now adays," she mocked, "people go to parties to get drunk and potentially find someone to have sex with. The free food is a bonus."

"That's how it's always been love. There just use to be class."

"Why would I go all out for a fake party?" the tribrid shook her head and rolled her eyes again.

"I'm going to get some good booze," the original hybrid said with a scowl as he grazed the bar. "This will tarnish our family name." Hope looked at her father and laughed. "What?"

"Out of all the things the family has done, you're worried about the alcohol choice ruining reputation."

"Absolutely."

The tribrid snorted and turned around to finish setting up the food table. "Where is everyone? Shouldn't they be helping."

"They're out feeding." Klaus walked over to his daughter to help. "What do I do?"

"Umm… maybe grab the food out of the fridge so I can set it up?" In less than a minute, he grabbed everything and placed it on the table in a couple trips. "Thank you."

"Now what?"

"I guess, let's make it look pretty."

"Pretty. Done."

Hope smiled wide and glanced at her father, receiving a smile in return. These are the things she had always longed for and had been missing. Small, sweet moments of nothing unparticular. Fond memories of little things. Time. All she had wanted was time. And she was beyond grateful for it. They worked in silence for a while, agreeing and disagreeing with looks about how the table was arranged. The tribrid took a moment to think once they were done. "I'm scared," she admitted to her father.

"Of what?" Klaus took his daughter's hand to comfort her.

"I don't want to lose anyone," she admitted.

"No one's dying today. I won't allow it."

"You can't guarantee that." Hope smiled sadly, appreciating her father's effort.

"I can't," he sighed. "But I can promise that I will do my best to make sure it doesn't happen. We have the most powerful supernaturals in the world here, love. Nothing will stop us. This is almost a sure victory."

"Almost," the tribrid whispered.

"Never assume," Klaus stared his daughter down, doing his best to impart wisdom. "Expect the worst, yes. Be hopeful, yes. "Never assume that you've won or lost. Both lead to losing."

"You always seem so sure."

"That's because I'm a great actor. I don't want everyone to know that I know I can be defeated. Mind games, love."

Hope chuckled and squeezed her father's hand. "Thank you."

"Am I interrupting?" Hayley asked as she entered the room.

"Not at all," Klaus replied.

"Hey mom," the tribrid greeted with a hug. "Ready to go?"

"Yes." A worried look crossed the crescent alpha's face. "Jake refused to feed. I'm worried. She's had blood bags. But we need everyone at full strength."

"Stupid," the original hybrid breathed. "Where is she? This isn't just about her."

"Klaus," Hayley warned.

"She puts us all in danger by doing this. I will kick her-"

"Dad," the tribrid interrupted. "Calm down. I'll go talk to her. She'll fight with you out of principle."

"Fine," he huffed.

"I still can't get over how level-headed you've become," Hayley poked.

"Ha." Klaus glared at the mother of his child.

"We'll finish up. Go and talk to her." The crescent alpha squeezed her daughter's shoulder before grabbing Klaus to help her.

Hope made her way up the stairs slowly. She was curious. And worried. Why wouldn't Jack feed? The brunette had never had an issue before. Then again, the woman hadn't been tortured and experimented on before. When she made it to the door she paused and took a deep breath. Releasing it with a sigh, she knocked. She didn't receive a reply and knocked again. The tribrid waited a few minutes. She grew nervous and walked in, trying not to panic. She stepped through the doorway and stopped in her tracks. She smiled; Jack was asleep. Hope gently closed the door and made her way over, sitting on the edge of the bed. She reached out slowly, pondering what she wanted to do. She decided to take the risk. The tribrid began to run her fingertips lovingly up and down the woman's arm. Jack whined and wrapped an arm around Hope's waist, urging the red head to come closer.

The tribrid beamed. "I think this is one of the cutest things I've ever seen," she teased.

"I'm not cute," Jack mumbled as she scrunched her face and tried to dig her head into the pillow more.

"Do you think that helped your case?" Hope chuckled.

The brunette opened one and glared. "I'm a mother fucking badass."

"Uh huh."

Jack groaned and sat up, adjusting herself so she didn't have to let go of the red head. "I am."

"But you keep whining in this adorable little voice, and your hair is tussled, and you're pouting," she teased more as she ran her hands through the brunette's hair.

"I'm still a badass," Jack mumbled, trying and failing to ignore the rush that shot through her from Hope playing with her hair.

The tribrid bit her lip at the woman's reaction to her touch. She decided to ask her question before she forgot it. "Why didn't you feed?"

"I did."

"From a person."

The brunette tenderly grabbed Hope's hand and pulled it away from her head regretfully. She wouldn't be able to concentrate otherwise. "I don't trust myself to not hurt someone."

"You need to feed. We need everyone at their strongest."

"I can't feed from someone I could kill," Jack combated in a pleading tone. "I can't do it."

"Feed from me."

The brunette blinked at the tribrid for a few seconds. "Then you'll be weakened."

"You give me some of your blood to heal and boom, problem solved."

"You make it sound so easy."

"It is easy." Hope cocked her eyebrow as she waited for a small debate to ensue.

But Jack sighed and agreed. "Okay."

"Wow." She was almost speechless.

"What? I told you I would respect your decisions, remember? And you're right, I do need to feed. I want to be able to protect you if I have to."

Hope smiled warmly at the brunette, her heart fluttered. She reached out and cupped Jack's cheek, an adoring gleam in her eyes. "Thank you. And you don't need to protect me."

"I know I don't need to. I'm saying, just in case." The brunette glanced down at the tribrid's lips and Hope's breath hitched. Her eyes turned and then glanced at the red head's neck. Hope bit her lip hard to try and keep herself in place; the small actions made the red head want to ravage the woman. "Ready?" Jack asked in a husky tone, sending shiver's down the tribrid's spine. Hope nodded her head, excitement building up with her anticipation. The brunette leaned in and grazed her lips against the red head's before ghosting kisses down Hope's jaw and neck. The tribrid latched onto her shoulders and her body shivered. "If I could only feed from you, I would," Jack breathed out to herself, lost in her thoughts and sense. The comment shot down to Hope's core, making her throb and ache. The brunette kissed the tribrid's collarbone before biting down into soft flesh, a feral growl vibrating from her chest as she grabbed her prey and held the tribrid close.

"Alaric!" Hayley greeted warmly, embracing the man.

"It's nice to see you," the headmaster said as he reciprocated the hug.

When the two separated, Klaus stepped forward, reaching his hand out. "Alaric," the original hybrid muttered in a monotone voice.

"Klaus," the headmaster replied coldly as he shook the Mikaelson's hand. "Can't say I'm happy to see you."

"Well, that's disappointing," Klaus smirked as he pulled his hand away. "I'm pleased to see you."

"Excuse me?" Alaric's face was a mixture of suspicion and shock.

"You've taken care of my daughter and helped raise her when I couldn't. I'm grateful. I almost like you. Almost." The original hybrid slipped his hands in his pockets, a shit-eating grin on his face. "Welcome to our home. Hope should be down soon. I believe your daughters and their friends our on their way. Would you like anything to eat or drink?"

"He's going to try and kill me, isn't he?" the headmaster raised his eyebrow, looking at Hayley.

"No," the crescent alpha replied with a smile. "I don't think so. Death and time with his daughter have seemed to change him. He's still a smug bastard. But he's less of a paranoid sociopath."

"The wonders of children and how they change a man. Wouldn't you agree?" Klaus stared at the man, waiting for a response.

"I guess I can finally agree with you on something."

"Excellent. Common ground. We'll be civil in no time." The original hybrid walked over and stood beside the headmaster, wrapping his arm around the man's shoulder and earning an almost fearful look. "Let's get a drink, shall we?" Alaric nodded his head in agreement, allowing Klaus to lead him to the other side of the room, mystified and befuddled.

"That went well," Josie said as she approached Hayley.

"I'm sure there's motive in there somewhere," the crescent alpha replied with a smirk. "But I'm almost positive it's not to murder or harm your father."

"I'm not worried about it," the brunette witch said as she waved her hand. "I gave him a charm without him knowing so he wouldn't seem appealing as a meal. Plus, Klaus is kind of nice. He's always been nice to me and when I've been around him."

"He has been cordial," Hayley agreed. "I haven't gotten used to it."

Josie stared off for a moment. "Where's Hope?"

"Upstairs, getting ready."

A loud knock came from the front wooden doors, gaining everyone's attention. In a flash, Hayley and Klaus went to the entrance, eyeing each other and then the door. The person banged louder, and it caused the wood to shake.

"I smell a vampire," Hayley muttered.

"And not one who's been here before," Klaus added.

"Wait!" They heard Jack yelling on her way to them. The brunette was running so fast she almost crashed into the wall stopping herself. "It's my friend." The pair glared at the woman. "We needed help and I invited her and her brother. You've met them, Klaus. The twins."

Realization kicked in on the original's face and he groaned in annoyance. "The twins? Really? I despise them."

"We need all the help we can get."

"Who are they?" Hayley cut in.

"I met them in Canada. Apparently, Klaus has known them a while."

The original smacked Jack's arm and looked at the crescent alpha. "I met them not long after we arrived in New Orleans. They had been here making a mess, leaving bodies all over, playing with people for sport."

"Why do you hate them?" Hayley questioned. "They sound like your best friends."

"I loved them at first. Then Lilith tried to go for my sister. And Hector became Elijah's best friend. They needed to go."

The door banged again. "I'm gonna let them in." Jack put her hand on the handle.

"Don't you dare!" Klaus shouted.

"Dad," Hope spoke, gaining everyone's attention. "We're not going to deny their help. They're coming in."

"Ahhh!" the original shouted in frustration. "Fine. But if either of them looks at you in any way other than respectful, I will rip their eyes out."

"Agreed," Jack said, earning a shocked look from the tribrid and a pleased smile from her father.

"Let them in." The original was happy to have an ally.

The brunette opened the doors and stepped aside to allow the twins entry. Lilith came in first. She was around Josie's height, her body lean and tattooed. Her long, dark hair was in a French braid, allowing her piercing green eyes to scan the room. The woman was curvaceous and well endowed. She smiled at Jack and hugged her tightly. It took everything in Hope not to rip the vampire's throat out. The sight of the woman touching Jack infuriated her; she hated it. Hector followed close behind. The man was tall, broad and full of muscles. His dark hair was short, and his eyes matched his sisters. He laughed with a jolly voice and squeezed Jack happily; the brunette looked like she was in pain. The scene made Hope smile, and it almost made her forget about Lilith touching the woman she adored. Almost.

"She's fucking hot," Josie whispered to the tribrid. The red head cocked her eyebrow at her ex. "So's her brother. How can a pair of twins be that gorgeous?"

"They're alright," Hope muttered.

Josie eyed the red head and realized what the woman's problem was. "You're jealous."

"No."

"Hope, I know you. I can see it in your eyes. You're fuming inside." The tribrid huffed, annoyed. "Didn't like that long, lingering hug?" Josie teased.

"Uh, stop," the red head whined.

"Klaus," Lilith said as she walked further inside.

"Well, if it isn't the two people I despise the most in this world," the original hybrid poked.

"Come now, Klaus, we're in your top five at most," Hector teased with a grin.

"I disagree."

"This is Hayley," Jack spoke as she began introductions. "Hope's mother."

"Pleasure," Lilith said as she shook the alpha crescent's hand.

"Hope's mother?" Josie questioned lowly to the tribrid.

"What?" Hope inquired.

"That means they know about you."

"So?"

"Either they've heard stories or Jack has told them about you." The witch grinned as a small blush appeared on the red head's face.

"This is Josie," Jack said as she led the twins over.

Lilith eyed the witch up and down and smirked, a predatory look in her eyes. "It's lovely to meet you, Josie." The vampire reached out her hand and waited patiently. A blush appeared on the witch's face as she placed her hand in Lilith's. The vampire bent over and grazed Josie's fingers with her lips, noticing the small shiver it sent through the Saltzman twin's body.

"Alright, that's enough," Hector cut in, removing his sister's hand to shake Josie's, a friendly smile on his face.

"And this is Hope," the brunette said, the tribrid's name rolling off her tongue in a delightful tone.

"The Legendary Hope Mikaelson." Lilith extended her hand once more and the tribrid shook it with a death grip. They let go and the vampire smiled. "Little Jack has told us so much about you."

"Shut up," the brunette muttered as she smacked Lilith's arm, her face turning red.

"She doesn't shut up about you," Hector said as he greeted the tribrid.

"Guys!" Jack shouted, now flooded with embarrassment.

Hope couldn't contain the smile that spread across her face. "It's nice to meet you," She said to Hector.

"Now that that's all out of the way," Klaus started, "why don't you two be the dears you are and get out of my sight."

"Dad," the tribrid warned.

The man rolled his eyes. "I'll be in my study." The original stomped off to his room.

"So Josie," Lilith asked with mischievous eyes, "how did you get wrapped up in this mess?"

"Oh no," Hector and Jack breathed at the same time.

"Hector is a hunk," Lizzie whispered to her sister and Hope. The three stood in a dark corner of the room, watching their friends and family interact and dance. It was dark in the estate. The only lights were white bulbs hanging from the ceiling and around the railings of the stairs. "How old is he?" she asked the red head.

"How should I know?"

"Lilith is hot," Josie commented as she eyed the vampire across the room.

"Please, both of you go for it," Hope muttered as she sipped some water. Her eyes were murderous as she watched Lilith, Hector and Jack talking and laughing. There was the occasional touching that pissed the red head off immensely. Hope wanted to rip the vampires heart out.

"Not today Hope," the blonde said remorsefully. "We're on a mission."

"It's supposed to look like a really party, isn't it?"

"You just want Lilith away from Jack," Josie said with a knowing grin. Hope rolled her eyes. "How about Lizzie and I go over and send Jack to you?"

"As long as Jack's away from that bitch, I don't care," the tribrid spat out.

"Okay, let's go before Hope decides to go on a killing spree," Lizzie said as she grabbed her sister's hand.

The red head watched intently as the pair walked over. Hector and Lilith both looked pleased to have the Saltzman twins in their presence. Jack was soon forgotten, and Hope couldn't deny how satisfied she was about it. The brunette caught Hope's eyes from across the room and smiled, smacking her out of her jealousy. The tribrid's heart began to flutter. "Boo," Jack whispered into Hope's ear. She jumped and turned to smack the brunette at her side.

"Don't do that," the red head berated as she hit the woman again, not being able to hide the smirk on her face.

"It was a little funny."

"Shut up." Hope rolled her eyes.

The pair were inches apart, staring at each other fondly. The low glow of the lights contoured Hope's face. Jack traced every detail with her eyes, memorizing every curve and sharp line. The brunette was in awe of the woman in front of her. When she met the tribrid's eyes, she stopped breathing. They were a mixture of piercing blue and bright gold. Jack was obsessed with the red head's eyes; she could stare into them for hours. All of Hope's emotions poured out of her eyes. If someone were to pay attention, they would see everything. The beautiful, strong, fragile, broken, caring and loving soul that the tribrid was. Jack was fascinated, entranced, captivated by all things Hope.

"What?" the red head questioned in a low voice, a grin on her lips.

"You're stunning," Jack let out, earning another eye roll. "And I adore you." The sentence made Hope's heart jump and the brunette smiled. "I wish I had time to dissect you."

"That's romantic," Hope laughed.

"That's weird, huh?" Jack laughed at herself. "I mean, I wish I had time to do absolutely nothing with you for days on end so I could see and learn all of you."

"How are you so weird and so endearing all at once?" the tribrid teased before grabbing one of the brunette's hands and intertwining their fingers. She stared at their hands for a while. When she looked up, Hope was overwhelmed in the best way. The look in Jack's eyes held many things; adoration, longing, fascination. But what took the red head's breath away was the most prevalent emotion; love. It was shinning so strongly in hazel orbs that Hope couldn't have denied it being there if she had wanted to. The tribrid moved a little closer and brought her free hand to Jack's hair to gently play with brunette locks. "What?" she asked in a whisper.

"What's your favorite color?" Jack grinned when she saw the confused look on Hope's face.

The tribrid shook her had at the brunette. "It depends on the day. Are we really doing this?" Hope's only answer was the brunette's smile broadening. She rolled her eyes again. "What's yours?"

"Usually blue."

"Usually?"

"Sometimes it's yellow, or pink, or gold, or orange, or purple, or green."

"So every color?" Hope laughed and shook her head.

"Usually blue because of the things that are that color." The red head's eyebrow cocked. Jack placed her free hand on Hope's waist and began to sway back and forth, starting a slow dance between them. "The ocean is always some form of blue. When I was a kid, my grandfather would take me to the ocean, and I would float for hours. It made me feel safe and calm. When I went under it was silent. No screaming or fighting. Just peace." Hope was enraptured by the look on Jack's face; she was nervous but also so sure. "And the sky. I used to go to a field by my house at night and get lost in the stars and the sounds of the woods. That's why green is sometimes my favorite. It's the color of life, the trees and grass. Yellow, orange, pink and purple because they're in sunrises and sunsets. I spent most of my time outside, and I fell in love with everything around me. And I can't tell," the brunette began as she moved her hand from Hope's waist to her cheek, "if I love your eyes because of their color, or if blue is winning so much because of your eyes."

The tribrid chuckled and shook her head. "You're a dork."

"Why does it depend for you?"

"What?"

"When I asked what your favorite color was, you said it depends."

"Oh," Hope was surprised the woman remembered. "I love to paint. I think because of that, it's hard for me to pick. Every color adds to a picture, changes it, or sometimes ruins it. It's fascinating to me how easily one color can drastically alter something or change how someone feels about or views a painting. I usually don't favor one over another because they're all useful and special in their own way."

"And you called me the dork," Jack smirked and received a light slap on her shoulder. "What was your favorite thing to do as a child?"

"You're very curious today," Hope deflected. She was getting uncomfortable. People never really asked her these kinds of questions. They never really asked her questions at all. Especially not with her past, weather it was serious or not.

"I have the opportunity to peek inside your brain right now. I'd like to take advantage if you'll allow me. And it's obviously okay if you don't want to let me."

God, how was Hope supposed to say no to that face. That gorgeous face full of care and understanding. She couldn't. "You want to take advantage of me?" she said in a sultry voice as she raised her eyebrow and laughed at Jack's red cheeks. "Honestly, I loved practicing magic. I wasn't supposed to. I technically wasn't allowed to for a while. But I loved it. I still do. I would sneak practicing in." Hope was glowing with sentiment and passion. "Being able to practice magic is one of my favorite things about my life." Hope was radiant. "What was your favorite thing to do?"

"Hanging out with my grandparents. They loved all their grandchildren so much, but I'm pretty sure I was their favorite. To be fair, I was with them almost every day. They would teach me things all the time." Jack removed her fingers from Hope's and cupped the woman's hand, trying to properly dance with the red head.

"Like what?" Hope wrapped her hand around Jack and rested her hand on the brunette's back.

"Grams taught me how to fight." Hope smirked at Jack's nostalgic face. "She taught me how to cook, sow, hunt. She taught me how to read and write in multiple languages."

"What about your grandfather."

"He taught me how to cry. How to let myself feel things and that it was okay. Taught me strategy through games, books and real-life situations. He showed me how to farm and fish. They balanced each other out. Whatever one didn't know, the other did. They showed me how to love; by loving me, others and how they loved each other."

"They sound amazing," Hope said before leaning in and placing a chaste kiss on Jack's lips.

"They were." Jack stared into blue orbs for a moment. "They were both alphas. My grandfather was from a nomadic pack. I think it's why they balanced each other out so well. Both packs valued different things."

"That sounds like my mom and Jackson, from what I've been told" Hope trailed off. "Huh."

"What?"

"Your names are similar," the tribrid shrugged her shoulders. "Anyway, my mom said that in all the areas she struggled with, he was strong, and vice versa."

"Was he her boyfriend?"

"Her husband. I never really knew him. He died when I was a baby. Apparently, I loved him. It royally pissed my father off. It still does. I've asked him questions about Jackson. Dad only has good things to say about him, but he's also admitted his jealousy."

"I'm thoroughly amazed at how you loving Klaus is changing him so drastically." Jack smiled at the tribrid. "I'm not surprised though. You seem to change everyone you meet."

Hope snorted sarcastically at the brunette. "I doubt that."

"You do," Jack insisted. "I've watched how people respond and react to you. And knowing you has changed me."

"Knowing me has gotten you captured, tortured, and almost killed" Hope said bitterly as she looked away. Regret and pain filled the red head. She fought to keep the tears forming in her eyes at bay.

"Hope," Jack whispered as she gently grabbed the tribrid's chin, turning the woman's head to face her. Their eyes caught and Hope calmed; she was greeted with love. "That wasn't your fault. I chose to do what I did. And I would happily do it again. I'd do anything to keep them away from you."

Before Hope could respond, the lights went out and the music shut off. The couple froze along with everyone else in the room. Slow footsteps and gurgling sounds that resembled growls started and grew louder with each passing second. Jack squeezed Hope's hand and listened intently. The brunette's eyes were searching the room, trying to find the source of the noise. She finally saw the creatures, standing where people once were; they had been disguised. The lights came back on with a loud click, revealing the hideous creatures. Jack was breathing hard, holding herself back from shifting. Hope's eyes were intense and golden, fists clenched and ready. The pair walked to the center of the room and waited.

"Give her to us," one of the creatures said in a rumbling low voice as he stepped to meet the pair, pointing at Hope.

"Fuck off," Jack growled.

"We can kill all of you, or you can give us the tribrid." The rest of the creatures came up behind their leader. The crowd moved back, making a circle around them. Hope's friends and family carefully took their positions and got ready, intently watching the scene unfold. "Well?" the creature asked with a smug smile of razor sharp teeth.

Jack screamed and growled loudly as she shifted, growing in height, face contorting and muscles swelling. Her menacing black eyes glowed brightly at the cat-like creatures. "I'm going to enjoy ripping your head off," the brunette bit out in a feral, low voice.

"Kill the mutt."

A battle ensued. The Mikaelson's, their allies and friends, began their attacks. Hope and Jack were the first to land punches. They fought with their backs to each other, synchronized in their movements. Klaus and Hayley came up beside them, ripping limbs from bodies and tearing the creatures apart. More of the animals flooded in from the halls, filling the room. The vampire twins and the Saltzman sisters fought together on the second floor. The sister's cast spells at the floor below while the vampires defended them. Elijah and Rebekah worked their way up in body count, Alaric helping to add to their numbers. Freya was blowing the creatures up from their insides as MG and Kaleb protected her. Other allies were scattered about the house, some falling, most of them winning. Dark magical objects began to go off, unleashing powerful spells, killing handfuls of the creatures at once. The estate was crumbling; people being thrown through walls, fires catching to the building, explosions going off, blood and guts splattered everywhere. Eventually, three of the creatures remained. Jack and Hope stood their ground, staring the beasts down.

The leader smirked. "You think you've won. It's cute."

"If you've got something else up your sleeve, let's go," Hope spoke as she wiped blood off her face. "I don't have all night."

"I'm going to enjoy watching them kill you," the creature smiled widely.

Davina appeared, her face emotionless. She took a few steps forward and received a loud roar from Jack that shook the walls. The witch froze and looked the brunette up and down. "You can't stop this," she whispered. Davina cast a spell that captured Jack, Hope, herself and the creatures. Hope's friends and family lunged at the shield and cast their own spells, trying to break through, but it was no use. "As long as she's alive, she'll never be safe. He wants her, and nothing can stop him."

"Who?" Hope demanded.

"You'll find ou-" Davina was cut off by Jack. The brunette had quickly ran up to the woman and chomped down into her flesh, sending venom through the witches blood stream. Jack was sent flying. The brunette slammed into the invisible barrier and fell to the ground. "What have you done?!" the witch yelled in a panic.

Jack raised her arm and flipped the woman off. "Good luck surviving that," she sputtered out

Hope dashed to Jack's side and kneeled once she reached the brunette. "Are you alright?" she asked in a scared voice, her hands trembling as she searched Jack's body for injuries.

"I'm okay," the brunette said as her body changed back to its original state.

"Take care of them and bring the girl," Davina ordered before she disappeared.

Hope turned and glared as the creatures trudged their feet toward her. Her mind raced as she thought of what to do. The barrier was still up, despite the witch's absence, and she was severely weakened from the fight.

"Hope," Jack whispered as she sat up. She brought her hand to the tribrid's cheek and smiled painfully. "She said as long as you were alive, he'd come after you." Hope stared at the brunette thinking until it hit her.

"Do it."

"Are you sure?" Hope nodded in response. Jack bit open her hand and offered it to the tribrid. "Just in case." Hope nodded and drank the brunette's blood.

The red head was suddenly pushed away, her back hitting the barrier. She screamed after she opened her eyes. The leader had shoved a dagger through Jack's back, the sharp point sticking out of the brunette's chest. Hope caught the woman as she stumbled forward and blood spilled out of her mouth. The creature smiled wickedly at Hope over Jack's shoulder and the tribrid snapped. She dropped Jack and jumped forward, pushing the creature to the ground. She screamed viciously as she shoved her hand into the creature's chest and clenched around its heart. It screeched and clawed at Hope, but quickly became motionless as the tribrid ripped its heart out. The red head stood and growled as her piercing gold eyes stared down the remaining two. They roared and charged. Hope braced herself. The tribrid fought them off for a while but was eventually captured by the two. Hope writhed and growled but couldn't get loose.

One of the creatures looked back at Jack with a smug smile. The brunette was struggling to get up and slowly bleeding out. "She'll wish she was dead by the time we're through with her," the beast said.

Jack's eyes turned as she reached behind and pulled the dagger out of her back. The brunette threw weapon and watched in horror as it pierced Hope's heart. The tribrid gasped loudly. She gave Jack a small smile before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her body went limp. The creatures shrieked and dropped the tribrid's body, enraged. Jack laughed manically, seeming as if she had lost her mind. And maybe she did. "Good luck doing anything with her now," the brunette barked out. The creatures shrieked once more before vanishing into thin air. Jack pathetically crawled her way to Hope at an agonizingly slow pace, a trail of blood following her. When she finally made it to the red head, she laid on the floor next to her. The brunette was tormented as she looked upon Hope's face. She intertwined their hands and coughed up some more blood. "You better wake up," Jack croaked out before losing consciousness.

Hope gasped and shot up when she awoke. Her breathing was panicked, and she ached of thirst. The tribrid felt a hand grip hers and turned her head to find her mother smiling comfortingly at her. It took Hope a few minutes to calm down and control her breathing. As the fear began to slip away, she looked around the room. They weren't in the Mikaelson estate, that was for sure. She blinked rapidly and shook her head to try and clear her vision. When everything finally came into view, she realized where she was; the Salvatore School, in her old bedroom. She sighed and looked at her mother who still held that comforting, calm smile.

"Water?" Hope asked hoarsely. Her mother nodded and reached for a water bottle on the floor. The tribrid greedily accepted the liquid and chugged it. It made her throat feel better and she was a bit satisfied, but she still felt like she was in the desert dying and dehydrated. Hope looked at her mother with a worried expression. Hayley sighed and squeezed her daughter's hand.

"You need to feed," the crescent alpha said.

"Oh," Hope's eyes went wide. Memories of the fight flashed in her mind. It all made sense. Her eyes scanned the room again and she looked at her mother worried. "Where's Jack?" Hayley looked away. "Mom?" Hope pressed.

"She's in the schools dungeons."

"Why?" that pissed the tribrid off.

"Hope… she…" her mother's eyes filled with rage. "She killed you."

"I wanted her to!" Hope shouted as she stood from the bed, almost falling. Her mother stood up to help her, but Hope pushed her away. "You didn't hear us talking?"

"We couldn't hear anything. Please," Hayley said tenderly, "why did you ask her to do that?"

"Davina said that as long as I was alive, he would keep coming for me. Whoever he is." Hope was angry, but she understood. If they couldn't hear anything, then it looked like a betrayal. It didn't change how she felt though. "Let her out," she demanded.

"That still doesn't explain why she killed you." Hayley's face was stern and almost cold.

"Those things aren't the brightest. She killed me so they wouldn't take me. To them, I'm dead. If she hadn't of done that, I'd be gone right now." The crescent alpha's face softened, and her eyes shone with remorse. "Please, I need you to bring me to her and let her go."

"Okay," Hayley whispered before she started to help her daughter out of the room.

The new students of the Salvatore School stared and whispered as they walked down the stairs and through the halls. Normally, Hope would smile and wave, or say hi. She used to stay at least one day out of the week to teach and talk to the students. It had been years since she had. Hope was semi-famous through word of mouth at the school. And almost every supernatural knew of the Mikaelson's. When they finally made it to the dungeons, Jack was heard screaming at the top of her lungs. Hope somehow managed to force herself to run, faster than she ever had with her vampire side awakened. She almost tripped and fell trying to stop herself as she entered the room. The red head gasped in horror. Her father had his hand buried in Jack's chest, probably squeezing her heart with how the brunette was writhing and coughing up blood. Hope pulled off the metal door and stood behind Jack, not wanting to move her father for the brunette's safety.

"Let her go!" the tribrid demanded, her eyes on fire.

Klaus froze and looked at his daughter horrified. He was torturing a woman he had cared for and his daughter was getting a front row seat. The original hybrid pulled his hand out of Jack's chest and took a step back. "Hope-"

The tribrid pushed her father away and kneeled in front of Jack. The brunette's eyes were closed, and her head was leaned back. Blood was all over the woman's face and body. She had a black eye and a busted lip, bruises and her arms and chest. Hope tentatively reached out and held Jack's hand. The brunette inhaled sharply, and her head shot up. Hazel eyes looked down to find blue and Jack smiled, her eyes glazing over with tears. "Hope," Jack croaked out.

The tribrid held back tears and kissed the brunette's bruised and bloodied hand. She smiled weakly, not being able to hide her pain. "Try not to talk," Hope said. "Save your energy." The red head stood and turned to face her father and mother. "Did you even ask her what happened?" Her parents glanced at each other shamefully and then looked back at their daughter. "How could you?" Hope bit out, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"Love, I-" Klaus began, but was cut off.

"No!" their daughter shouted. "How could you not ask her? And then do something like this?"

"It looked pretty clear to us," Hayley defended.

"You said you couldn't hear anything, mom. You both knew you didn't know everything. But you still drug her here and began torturing her."

"She killed you!" Klaus shouted.

"She killed me because they were about to take me, and she knew they would leave if they thought I was dead!" Hope was struggling to remain calm. Her emotions were a lot more intense than they ever had been. "I'm a tribrid! I was coming back!"

"Hope, we're sorry-" Hayley was cut off by her daughter.

"No. Sorry isn't going to cut it." Hope glanced at Jack, the brunette's breathing was shallow, and she could barely keep her eyes open. When the tribrid turned back to her parents, more tears were rolling down her cheeks. "Dad, you saved her. You turned her. You protected her and helped to raise her. How could you not even ask?"

Klaus couldn't look his daughter in the eye. He bit his cheek and sniffed back tears that were forming. "All I saw was a dagger go into my daughter's chest and kill her." He raised his head and looked pleadingly at Hope. "I didn't care what she had to say. When you have a child one day, you'll understand."

Hope went to argue and was stopped by Jack weakly grabbing her hand. The tribrid turned and kneeled again, waiting for the brunette to say something. "Let it go," Jack breathed out. "They were being parents. That's all. Klaus is right. If it was your kid, you would have done the same."

Hope clenched her eyes shut and took a deep, shaky breath. She swallowed hard and choked back a sob. When she opened her eyes, she smiled sadly at Jack. "I'll try." Hope rose and turned around, staring at her mother. "Feed her."

Hayley nodded and slowly made her way over to the brunette. She bit her hand and offered it to Jack. The woman eyed the crescent alpha leerily but accepted. Slowly, the brunette's wounds began to heal. As soon as she felt alright, Jack pulled away. She nodded in thanks to Hayley and the averted her gaze.

"Mom, can you please help me bring Jack to my room?" Hayley stood still and silent, but eventually gave into her daughter's request. She lifted Jack up and Hope came to the brunette's other side. "Thank you," she whispered to her mother. The tribrid looked at her father. The man looked like he was in agony. She didn't want to admit it, but part of her was pleased that he was in pain over this. "I'll talk to you later," she said lowly to Klaus, receiving a nod.

Hope was in her bed with Jack curled up in her arms, staring down at the brunette. Jack's back was leaning into her front and Hope's head was propped up on her hand, her other arm wrapped protectively around the woman. Half the day had gone by as Hope went in and out of consciousness in bed with the brunette. The tribrid was content and in pain at the same time. It had been a few days, and Jack still was weak. The brunette was healing so slowly and then stopped; something was definitely wrong. Her Aunts, the Saltzman twins, Alaric and her parents were searching for answers. No one had found a thing. Jack was a new species. How could anyone know what to do? They had tried everything they could think of. But the tribrid had an idea.

Hope hesitantly arose from bed as carefully as possible. Jack released a barely audible whine and her face scrunched as she turned in the bed, searching for the tribrid. A genuine smile spread across Hope's lips. She leaned down to kiss the brunette on the forehead, earning a content sigh. Her eyes lingered on Jack a few more moments before she placed another kiss on the brunette's cheek. "I'm in love with you, Jack," she whispered, knowing the brunette couldn't hear her. "I'm going to fix this. I promise." One more kiss and Hope was quickly, and quietly, out the door.

Hope went out to the woods to the old mill. When she reached the top, she looked around and found her hidden chest. She undid her spell to get into the old wooden box and pulled out what she needed. The tribrid drew the pentagram and set the candles in place, lighting them. Taking a deep breath, she sat down and began chanting. The wind began to blow around her and she faded in and out of reality. It wasn't long until she found herself in a quiet room. A fireplace was lit, the crackling of the wood was the only sound to be heard. She turned and found Davina staring at her from a plush, red chair she was curled up in.

"What do you want?" Davina asked harshly.

"I need your help," Hope admitted in the calmest tone she could muster.

"With what?"

"Jack."

Davina paused. There was a moment sympathy that shown in her eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by a sour expression. "Why would I help you?"

"If you help me, I'll help you."

"And what would I possibly need your help with?"

"A few years ago, when you attacked us outside of my house," Hope walked toward the woman at a slow pace, "you said you had no choice. That means they have something over you. I can help you."

Davina got up and stomped toward the tribrid, her eyes flashing with different emotions. "How could you possibly help me?" she seethed.

"What is it they have over you?"

The older witch grew quiet as she thought. When she finally answered, she had tears in her eyes. "They have my children," she whispered defeatedly.

"Children?" Hope's eyebrow cocked.

"Kol and I have children."

"How is that possible?"

"How is me still being this age possible? Hasn't that crossed your mind?"

"To be honest, no." Hope was dumbfounded. "It should have."

"I became a heretic," Davina admitted. She turned and sat back down in her chair. "And somehow, I got pregnant not long after. We don't know how it happened. But it was a miracle," the witch smiled as she got lost in her thoughts. "Two children. Samuel and Laura. Miracles, like you. They got the best of both worlds; Immortality with magic. No need to drink blood."

"The Initiative is holding your children hostage?" Hope asked in a pained voice, her heart feeling for the woman.

"If I don't do what they want, they'll use them as experiments. And that's worse than death." Davina swallowed hard and then took a deep breath. "What is it you want, Hope?"

"Jack is sick," the tribrid began, "she won't fully heal. Whatever happened during that fight… it's slowly killing her."

Davina sighed. "She needs to finish her transformation."

"What?"

"They were trying to make her like you, a tribrid. But stronger, faster. Her magic won't ever be as strong as yours. But they figured is she could have you beat with the other two, it would be even."

"Why?"

"He wanted to use her to capture you. Among other things. But that was the main reason." Davina looked away, clearly feeling guilty.

"Who is he?"

"That I can't tell you. I don't know. I've never seen him. They just call him the commander."

"Why does he want me so badly? To experiment on me?"

"I don't know," Davina sighed. "All I know is he wants you, badly. He's obsessed."

Hope growled in frustration and put the rest of her questions aside. "How do we help Jack?"

"She needs her last shot. Dr Milton has it. He's the one who's done all the experiments on her. He knows he DNA inside and out. To complete her metamorphosis, she needs her last dose."

"How do we get it?"

"I can get it easily." Davina stood again and moved toward Hope, stopping a few feet away. "The question is, how can you help me?"

"That's easy," the tribrid smiled cockily. "You help me get in and I'll free them. Once I have them, you help us all escape."

The witch sighed. "You do realize that, if it even works, they'll come at us full force?"

Hope smirked confidentially. "I think you underestimate my friends and I. You haven't beaten us yet."

"That's a valid point. You Mikaelson's are hard to kill, I'll give that to you." Davina paused to think. "When do you want to do this?"

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" the witch asked, shocked.

"They'll never see it coming."

The heretic chewed it over. "Alright. Let's figure it out now."

"I can't wait to tear them apart," Hope said with a smirk, her eyes flashing.

"Are you out of your mind?" Josie nearly shouted at Hope. "You astral projected to Davina and concocted some crazy plan that could get us all killed? For what? For Jack?"

"Yes, for Jack," Hope bit back. "But we get Davina's help out of it too. They have her kids, my cousins; that's why she's helping them. If we free them all, we get three powerful allies who know a lot about The Initiative." The tribrid huffed out a breath. "And don't try and act like I wouldn't do this for any of you."

"I know you would," Josie replied lowly. "It's just poorly planned and you want to do it in less than twenty-four hours. It's a huge risk."

"I say we do it," Lilith chimed in. "They're getting stronger. Their hold on governments and weaponry is building at a rapid rate. They become more of a threat every day. And I'd also love to kill as many of them as possible for what they've done to Jack." Hope's eyes flinched at the sentiment in Lilith's eyes, but she remained quiet. She needed all the help she could get. The vampire noticed the tribrid's reaction. "Hope, stop. It's never been like that between Jack and I, and it never will be. She's a little sister to me. She also saved my life and my brother's. When we strode into her town, she kept her pack from killing us. So chill your titties."

Hope blinked at the vampire, not knowing how to respond. It also surprised her that she was that apartment. Then again, she had been giving the woman death glares. "Okay." Hope looked around the room at her friends and family awkwardly before clearing her throat and continuing. "I'm doing this. None of you have to go. I would like help, but I know this is a huge risk. Jack needs our help. My family needs our help. I'm not going to leave them trapped and let Jack die."

"I'm going," Klaus spoke up. "I'm not letting you go alone and commit suicide. And I owe Jack. Plus, there's family at risk"

"So do I," Hayley said. "I'm going."

"I'm not letting my niece and nephew die, especially not before I meet them," Rebekah added. "I'm going."

"Well, of course I'm going," Elijah said. "I always help my family. Jack is family too."

It wasn't long until everyone else agreed. Some out of guilt for what they had done, but most because they felt it was the right thing to do. They came up with a plan. Hope, Klaus and Hayley would help Davina get the medicine. Rebekah, Elijah and Freya would get the kids. MG, Josie, Lizzie, Lilith and Hector would help fight and gather as much information as possible. Alaric and Marcel would stay at the school, preparing for their return and setting up defenses in case they were followed back. When they had finished, Kol appeared in the room.

"Kol," Rebekah whispered. She walked over to her brother and hugged him tightly. The man looked empty and exhausted.

"I hear you're going to save my family," he muttered with a fake smile.

"Yes. And why have you never told me about this? You never told any of us."

"I told Elijah." Rebekah turned to her oldest brother and scowled at him. "I asked him not to say anything. I wasn't ready to bring them into the world our family had created. I was going to wait until they were older."

"I understand," Rebekah replied, attempting a comforting smile.

"I'm going with you," Kol said, nodding at Hope. "I'm going to get my kids out of there. Even if I die, even if Davina dies, they're getting out. That's all I want. I'm sure that's all Davina wants too."

"We can't die brother. There's no white oak left."

"I think you're underestimating them. I left to learn more about them. I think they could kill us all. They've been at this for decades, hiding in the shadows."

"We're getting them out," she reassured her younger brother. "No matter what. We're family. And we put family first. Always and forever."

"Always and forever," Klaus agreed, sending a smile at his brother.

"This is going to work Uncle Kol," Hope said before giving him a hug. "They're all getting out of there." Kol looked down at his niece lovingly, holding back tears. The tribrid turned to everyone else in the room. "Get ready. We're leaving during their nightly shift change."

The group of supernaturals made their way into the facility easily. After splitting up, Hope, Klaus and Hayley made their way to a small laboratory. As they headed down the halls carefully, Hope made quick glances into cells that held mutated, some unrecognizable, supernaturals. She cringed at the sight. The tribrid felt horrible for them and began thinking of how she could possibly get them out. Davina smirked when the trio reached hear outside of the lab. The heretic was nervous, but eager to get some sort of revenge.

"Ready?" Davina asked as she typed in the code to the door. Hope nodded when she looked back.

"Oh, Davina," Klaus said, stopping the heretic in her tracks. "If you betray us, I'll tear each limb off your body and raise your children to be just like me."

Davina rolled her eyes and walked through the doorway. Hope followed closely behind as she scanned the room. Desks with test tubes, serums and notes were on every wall. In the middle of the room was a chemistry lab, bubbling away with God knows what. Hope brought her attention back to Davina and watched. The heretic was walking down the room, staring into cabinets on the walls. She paused and opened the door, grabbing a box with numbers and letters on it.

Hope was at Davina's side in an instant. "Is that hers?" The tribrid asked with anticipation as she watched the heretic open the box.

Davina pulled the metal lid off and nodded her head. "Yes. This is everything they've used on her, including her last dose. The notes and research as well."

"Alright, let's go."

The two women headed for the exit and stopped when they heard another door open. They looked to their left at a section of the wall that had opened, a tiny man with gray hair and glasses walking out. When the man looked up, he dropped the book he had been holding and gasped. "Davina? What are you doing?" he asked.

"Righting my wrongs," she replied before casting a spell to keep the man in place.

"Who's he?" Hope asked.

"Dr Milton. The lead scientist."

"He's the one," Hope began walking toward the doctor, her eyes flashing, "who did this to Jack? To everyone else here?"

"Ms. Mikaelson, I can explain," the doctor said; not threatened by the tribrid.

"I don't want you to explain," Hope growled before crouching down and glaring. "I want you to suffer."

"I am in the same situation as Ms. Clair," Milton stated as he glared back. "They have my son."

"You don't seem a bit remorseful," the tribrid spat. "You're calm, a bit arrogant. You don't care about what you're doing to them."

"It's all to keep my son safe. So no, I don't." The doctor's voice was cold, detached.

"What's your son's name?"

"Charles."

"Is everything that Jack needs to complete whatever sick shit you did to her in that box?"

"Yes."

"You're lying." Hope's eyes turned black with gold and blue rings. The doctor finally looked like he was afraid. "Tell me the truth, give me what I need, or I'll find Charles and rip his throat out." Her voice was low, void of emotion and threatening.

"The rest of what you need is in the room behind me. There are two other serums she needs."

"Hope, come in," Josie's voice came through the tribrid's ear bud.

"What's up?"

"We're with your Aunts and Uncle. We've got your cousins."

"Do you see a Charles Milton anywhere?" The doctor looked petrified.

"Uhhh, let me check." Almost a minute of silence passed before Josie spoke again. "Yeah, he's in one of the cells."

"Will you bring him too?"

"Hope?" Josie questioned.

"Just tell him I'm with his father and to follow you."

"Alright," the witch sighed. "See you soon."

"Hope, I don't think this is a good idea," Hayley said. The tribrid turned her head to look at her mother and cocked her eyebrow at the woman's concerned eyes. "We don't know how his son will react."

"I've got a good feeling about it," the tribrid replied calmly, her eyes changing back to their original state. She turned back to the doctor. The man looked furious. "Tell me what I need."

"I'll have to show you," the doctor replied, venom in his voice.

"I don't trust you."

"You won't be able to find it without me."

"I can find it," a voice said behind Hope.

The tribrid turned around to see a tall young man, no older than eighteen, with bright blue eyes and a small smile on his face. He walked over to Hope and extended his hand. "Charles Milton."

"Hope Mikaelson," she said as she stood up and shook Charles' hand.

"Jack's friend," the young man said as he let go of her hand. "She told me so much about you."

Hope's eyebrows rose. "Did she?"

"Now is not the time," Klaus interrupted. "We can't stay forever. We need to get the rest and get out."

"Can you help?" Hope asked the young man.

"Of course," Charles replied. "Just give me a few minutes." The young man disappeared into the room and started scrummaging around.

Lizzie walked up beside the tribrid. "Can we trust him?"

"Charles!" Milton shouted. "Don't you dare!"

"With how his dad's acting, I'd say so," Hope replied with a smirk.

Charles exited the room with two bags full of serums and papers. "This one has all of Jack's stuff," he said as he handed the bag to Hope. He slid the other one over his arm. "And this one has stuff you'll find interesting."

"Coming with us then?"

"If you'll let me."

"Charles!" the doctor shouted again. "How dare you!"

"Listen pops, what you're doing is wrong," the young man said, finally acknowledging his father. "And I hate you. So there's that."

"Oh yeah, he's coming with us," Hope chuckled.

"Let's get the hell out of here then," Josie said.

The group circled up, holding hands while Freya, Hope, Josie and Lizzie began casting their spell. Papers started flying around and the glass of the cabinets began to crack. Cylinders and test tubes shattered and spilled random concoctions onto the walls and floor. The wind around them swirled like a hurricane and alarms started to go off. A loud pop was heard, and a flash of light spread across the room as the group disappeared.

"This is so cool," Charles said as Hope guided him through the Salvatore School to her old room. "Seriously, when did this open? I wish I could have gone."

"You still probably can," the tribrid commented as the began climbing stairs. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen," he replied. "Just turned seventeen."

"They'd probably take you. They even have college level courses on the other side of the property now. Dormitories too."

Hope slammed the door open and found Marcel at Jack's bedside. The brunette had gotten worse. Her skin was ghostly white, and she was covered in sweat. As Hope got closer, she noticed Jack's breathing was rigid and she was wheezing. The brunette's face was scrunched in pain and her body was curled up into the fetal position. "How long has she been like this?" Hope's voice was drenched in fear.

"A few hours," Marcel replied sadly. "I gave her your blood that you left. I gave her mine. It stops her getting worse for a while but then she starts deteriorating again."

"Move over please," Charlie said, looking at Marcel expectantly. He eyed the stranger and then looked at Hope. When Marcel received an okay from the tribrid, he moved. Charlie smiled and pulled back the covers to get a better look at Jack. "Bag please," he said to Hope. The tribrid handed it to him so fast it almost hit the young man in the head. Charlie rummaged through the bag, taking out a few bottles, some syringes and a notebook. He flipped through the book at lighting speed and paused when he found what he was looking for. "Alright, got it."

"You're a hybrid," Hope commented as she watched the young man get several syringes ready.

"Something like that," he muttered as he gave Jack the first shot. The brunette cringed and let out a small groan, but her complexion started coming back and the sweating stopped.

"What are you giving her?"

"I just gave her an antidote for the venom from those panther things," Charlie replied as he continued with another syringe. "This one is to stabilize her." The painful look on Jack's face disappeared and her breathing improved. "And this one will complete her transformation."

"Yeah, what is that?" Charlie paused and looked up at Hope. "Transformation into what?"

"Something like a tribrid. At least, that's what dad's notes say. In any case, this will heal her. May I continue?" Hope nodded and continued to watch the young man's every move. After he gave Jack the last shot, the brunette's body changed, looking healthier than it had in a long time. The woman looked like she was in a peaceful slumber. Charlie's face looked confused. "Huh."

"What?" Hope asked in a panicked tone.

"I thought she would insta-"

Charlie stopped talking when Jack shot up in bed, her breathing erratic and her eyes wide. The brunette's eyes went completely black and she ground her teeth together as her fangs came out. Jack's hands went to her hair and gripped tightly. She hunched over, head almost in between her knees, and started screaming. Charlie took a few steps back, gently urging Marcel to do the same.

"What's happening?!" Hope yelled, full of fear and concern.

"Metamorphosis," Charlie shouted back. "I think you should back up."

But Hope walked forward, her knees touching the bed. Jack shook her head back and forth a few times. The brunette's skin started moving, as if something was inside her body trying to get out. Her limbs stretched and retracted, her face contorted and went back to its natural state. Jack screamed one last time before her body stilled. The brunette's breathing slowly calmed, and her body stopped shaking. After a few minutes, Hope slowly reached out and tenderly placed her hand on the brunette's arm. Jack's head snapped and she growled at the tribrid. Hope gasped. The brunette's eyes were pitch black with bright white iris', and her canines were back to there original state of four instead of eight. The scars on her body and face had disappeared and her skin was glowing.

"Jack," Hope whispered, causing the brunette's face to soften. "It's okay. You're safe."

Jack swallowed hard before taking a deep breath. "Hope," she breathed.

"Holy shit," Klaus said as he entered the room. Jack sent a low, throaty growl his way. The original hybrid put his hands in the air as a sign of surrender. "I'm not here to hurt you, love."

"This is so cool!" Charlie said excitedly. The brunette's head turned to face the young man. She inhaled deeply and smiled when she recognized his scent. Charlie smiled back. "I've missed you, friend."

Jack closed her eyes for a minute. Once her fangs receded and her eyes changed, she looked at the young man again. "I'm happy to see you, Charles. And thank you."

"But of course," he replied in a fake French accent, gaining an eye roll from the brunette.

Jack turned to look at Hope, and saw the woman was silently crying. The brunette got up onto her knees and reached for the tribrid, drawing her into a tight embrace. Hope let out a stuttering breath and squeezed Jack as tight as she could without potentially hurting her.

"You're alive," Hope choked out into the brunette's neck, her tears soaking the woman's skin.

"I am," Jack confirmed. She lightly kissed the tribrid's shoulder as she began to rub soothing circles on Hope's back. "Thank you. You saved me again."

"Well, good, she's alive," Rebekah chided as she walked into the room, Kol close behind her. "I was wondering what all that racket was about."

Hope laughed and slowly pulled away from Jack to look at her aunt. "Racket?"

"Yes, racket. Would you like the definition?" she teased.

"Thank you, Hope," Kol interrupted before almost running to his niece and hugging her. "I'll never be able to repay you."

They separated and Hope beamed at her uncle. "You'll never have to. Always and forever," she breathed her family's motto, causing her uncle to beam.

"Um, I don't want to seem ungrateful," Jack began, gaining everyone's attention, "but I smell, and I really need to shower. So I'm going to go and do that before I start going around handing out hugs."

"Please do," Klaus chided. "I don't know how much longer I can stand that stench."

"Dad!"


End file.
